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CRUD Challenge: Freaks (1932)
Jun. 15th, 2025 02:02 pmFreaks (1932) dir. Tod Browning
Madame Tetrallini (Rose Dione) is, by 1930s standards, a good circus owner. She likes to think of the circus employees as a family, and is especially considers her employees with disabilities or deformities as her "children." Most other people, including themselves, call them "freaks." Thanks to her skill as a manager and genuine kindness, the Tetrallini Circus has accumulated a varied cast of top-notch performers, some of whom perform in the main circus, while others are in the side show. Because most of them have faced abuse and discrimination in the outside world, the freaks tend to stick together, "offend one and you offend them all." And the normal-bodied circus workers largely treat them with friendliness, or at least professional courtesy.
But all is not well in this traveling show. Strongman Hercules (Henry Victor) just had his girlfriend seal trainer Venus (Leila Hyams) break up with him (deleted dialogue had him asking her to do "private performances" for wealthy men.) So he's on the prowl for a new honeypot. Meanwhile, stunningly beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) is still doing quite well in her act, but is beginning to feel the aging process coming on, and is looking for a husband before that aging becomes visible in her act or appearance. Cleopatra and Hercules are certainly attracted to each other, but she has her reasons for not making it official just yet.
Little person (called a "midget" in-story) Hans (Harry Earles) has become infatuated with Cleopatra, to the disgust of his longtime sweetheart Frieda (Daisy Earles), a fellow little person. Cleopatra isn't interested in him "that way", but flirts outrageously with him because he keeps giving her presents of money and jewelry. Everyone else can tell she's just stringing him along, but Hans won't listen. Things take a turn for the worse when Cleopatra learns that Hans can afford his expensive presents because he's actually the scion of a wealthy family and recently inherited a fortune. She and Hercules sure could use that money!
This infamous horror movie was created after the Hays Code had come in but before it was fully enforced. So it has a fair amount of material that wouldn't be allowed in another year, but it was still so shocking that test audiences were freaking out and the studio decided drastic cuts were needed. Thus the version we have today is missing about thirty minutes of the run time (the footage is lost barring a miracle) and has a different beginning and end to cushion some of the impact.
The plot is actually pretty tame by modern standards, and most of the runtime is light drama about the everyday lives and relationships of the circus folk. The bearded woman and the human skeleton have a baby. Venus starts a new slow burn romance with clown Phroso (Wallace Ford). Daisy and Violet Hilton (playing basically themselves, as they did in Chained for Life which I reviewed earlier) are engaged to different men, but as conjoined twins, it's going to be tight quarters.
And it's notable for the time that an absolute minimum of special makeup or camera tricks were used. Most of the "freaks" are actual performers who appear basically as they did in real life. The movie treats them as just folks.
The horror kicks into gear at the wedding feast. Cleopatra and Hercules have had way too much to drink and when the sideshow performers show their friendship by chanting "One of us!" the bride shows her disgust at their very existence. She makes a condescending exception for her husband Hans, but the others are chased off by Hercules. Cleopatra moves immediately to the next phase of her plan, slowly poisoning Hans so that she can inherit his money.
"Offend one, and you offend us all." Hans' comrades start observing Cleopatra and Hercules very closely, watching for their chance. And the "normal" circus folk aren't happy either. Hercules' show partner Roscoe (Roscoe Ates), who'd joined him in "good-natured ribbing" of Josephine Joseph the half-man half-woman at the beginning of the movie, now publicly snubs the strongman for his outright cruelty. Venus is so convinced something shady is going on with Hans' illness that she threatens to break the carnie code and squeal to the police.
The climax comes as the circus wagons head towards their next engagement in a heavy rainstorm. Hercules jumps out of his wagon to force his way into Venus' wagon to silence her, while Cleopatra prepares a final lethal dose for Hans. The freaks are ready though, and they crawl menacingly through the mud towards the betrayers....
At what should be the end, we see what has become of Cleopatra, an indelible image.
Even chopped up as it is, this is an interesting movie that simply could not be made today not because of "political correctness" or "woke" but because the world has changed so much. Younger teens and children should watch it with a trusted adult who's familiar with the subjects they'll be asking about.
Recommended to people interested in the history of horror and circus fans.
Madame Tetrallini (Rose Dione) is, by 1930s standards, a good circus owner. She likes to think of the circus employees as a family, and is especially considers her employees with disabilities or deformities as her "children." Most other people, including themselves, call them "freaks." Thanks to her skill as a manager and genuine kindness, the Tetrallini Circus has accumulated a varied cast of top-notch performers, some of whom perform in the main circus, while others are in the side show. Because most of them have faced abuse and discrimination in the outside world, the freaks tend to stick together, "offend one and you offend them all." And the normal-bodied circus workers largely treat them with friendliness, or at least professional courtesy.
But all is not well in this traveling show. Strongman Hercules (Henry Victor) just had his girlfriend seal trainer Venus (Leila Hyams) break up with him (deleted dialogue had him asking her to do "private performances" for wealthy men.) So he's on the prowl for a new honeypot. Meanwhile, stunningly beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) is still doing quite well in her act, but is beginning to feel the aging process coming on, and is looking for a husband before that aging becomes visible in her act or appearance. Cleopatra and Hercules are certainly attracted to each other, but she has her reasons for not making it official just yet.
Little person (called a "midget" in-story) Hans (Harry Earles) has become infatuated with Cleopatra, to the disgust of his longtime sweetheart Frieda (Daisy Earles), a fellow little person. Cleopatra isn't interested in him "that way", but flirts outrageously with him because he keeps giving her presents of money and jewelry. Everyone else can tell she's just stringing him along, but Hans won't listen. Things take a turn for the worse when Cleopatra learns that Hans can afford his expensive presents because he's actually the scion of a wealthy family and recently inherited a fortune. She and Hercules sure could use that money!
This infamous horror movie was created after the Hays Code had come in but before it was fully enforced. So it has a fair amount of material that wouldn't be allowed in another year, but it was still so shocking that test audiences were freaking out and the studio decided drastic cuts were needed. Thus the version we have today is missing about thirty minutes of the run time (the footage is lost barring a miracle) and has a different beginning and end to cushion some of the impact.
The plot is actually pretty tame by modern standards, and most of the runtime is light drama about the everyday lives and relationships of the circus folk. The bearded woman and the human skeleton have a baby. Venus starts a new slow burn romance with clown Phroso (Wallace Ford). Daisy and Violet Hilton (playing basically themselves, as they did in Chained for Life which I reviewed earlier) are engaged to different men, but as conjoined twins, it's going to be tight quarters.
And it's notable for the time that an absolute minimum of special makeup or camera tricks were used. Most of the "freaks" are actual performers who appear basically as they did in real life. The movie treats them as just folks.
The horror kicks into gear at the wedding feast. Cleopatra and Hercules have had way too much to drink and when the sideshow performers show their friendship by chanting "One of us!" the bride shows her disgust at their very existence. She makes a condescending exception for her husband Hans, but the others are chased off by Hercules. Cleopatra moves immediately to the next phase of her plan, slowly poisoning Hans so that she can inherit his money.
"Offend one, and you offend us all." Hans' comrades start observing Cleopatra and Hercules very closely, watching for their chance. And the "normal" circus folk aren't happy either. Hercules' show partner Roscoe (Roscoe Ates), who'd joined him in "good-natured ribbing" of Josephine Joseph the half-man half-woman at the beginning of the movie, now publicly snubs the strongman for his outright cruelty. Venus is so convinced something shady is going on with Hans' illness that she threatens to break the carnie code and squeal to the police.
The climax comes as the circus wagons head towards their next engagement in a heavy rainstorm. Hercules jumps out of his wagon to force his way into Venus' wagon to silence her, while Cleopatra prepares a final lethal dose for Hans. The freaks are ready though, and they crawl menacingly through the mud towards the betrayers....
At what should be the end, we see what has become of Cleopatra, an indelible image.
Even chopped up as it is, this is an interesting movie that simply could not be made today not because of "political correctness" or "woke" but because the world has changed so much. Younger teens and children should watch it with a trusted adult who's familiar with the subjects they'll be asking about.
Recommended to people interested in the history of horror and circus fans.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) dir. Robert Wiene
The frame story begins with Franciz (Friedrich Feher) having just been told by another man (Hans Lanser-Ludloff) about the supernatural events that drove him from his home. Franciz replies that the events he and his fiancée Jane Olsen (Lil Dagover) experienced were even more chilling. We then flash back to the announcement of a fair in the city where Franciz and Jane then lived. Their friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) sees an ad for the fair and asks Franciz to come with him. Despite their both being in love with Jane, the two are still good friends.
Meanwhile, a mountebank calling himself Doctor Caligari (Werner Krauss) tries to get a license to perform at the fair. The Town Clerk does allow this, but not before he's very rude to the applicant. By what I am sure is a total coincidence, the Town Clerk is murdered that very night.
Alan and Franciz go to the fair and visit Dr. Caligari's concession. The act turns out to be the supposed doctor displaying a "somnambulist" he calls Cesare (Conrad Veidt) who he awakens from deep sleep. Caligari claims that Cesare has supernatural knowledge of the future. When Alan foolishly enquires how long he will live, Cesare tells Alan he will be dead by dawn.
When Alan is murdered that night, Franciz' logical first suspect is Cesare. But is that really the case?
This 1920 silent German film is one of the most famous movies ever made, and even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard of it if you have an interest in film history, horror, or German Expressionism. The last is most obvious in the nightmarish set design.
Conrad Veidt is chilling as Cesare, the sleepwalking killer, scrambling over the rooftops on his deadly mission. And within context, Dr. Caligari makes a very sinister figure.
There's a couple of nice touches. An unrelated criminal attacks an old woman in hopes that his murder will be mistakenly credited to the mysterious previous ones. And Dr. Caligari has a "lifelike" dummy of Cesare that he puts in the cabinet while the somnambulist is away to create an alibi.
The title card says that this is a retelling of an 11th Century legend, though that legend itself is made up for the movie--and then there's the infamous twist ending that turns most of what we've learned on its head.
It does have to be remembered that this movie is still quite early in the history of films, and silent, so the acting can come off artificial and stiff, and the lighting is sometimes dubious. The set design actually helps by being so weird that the viewer might not feel the need to nitpick details so much.
Content note: Murder, naturally, though the actual deed is suggested by shadow, not directly shown. Some period depiction of mental illness that may come off badly to modern viewers. Older teens should be fine; younger viewers may not be ready for the conventions of silent film.
This is one of those movies that's more important than good, but it's good enough that it's worth seeing for any fan of horror or film history buff.
The frame story begins with Franciz (Friedrich Feher) having just been told by another man (Hans Lanser-Ludloff) about the supernatural events that drove him from his home. Franciz replies that the events he and his fiancée Jane Olsen (Lil Dagover) experienced were even more chilling. We then flash back to the announcement of a fair in the city where Franciz and Jane then lived. Their friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) sees an ad for the fair and asks Franciz to come with him. Despite their both being in love with Jane, the two are still good friends.
Meanwhile, a mountebank calling himself Doctor Caligari (Werner Krauss) tries to get a license to perform at the fair. The Town Clerk does allow this, but not before he's very rude to the applicant. By what I am sure is a total coincidence, the Town Clerk is murdered that very night.
Alan and Franciz go to the fair and visit Dr. Caligari's concession. The act turns out to be the supposed doctor displaying a "somnambulist" he calls Cesare (Conrad Veidt) who he awakens from deep sleep. Caligari claims that Cesare has supernatural knowledge of the future. When Alan foolishly enquires how long he will live, Cesare tells Alan he will be dead by dawn.
When Alan is murdered that night, Franciz' logical first suspect is Cesare. But is that really the case?
This 1920 silent German film is one of the most famous movies ever made, and even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard of it if you have an interest in film history, horror, or German Expressionism. The last is most obvious in the nightmarish set design.
Conrad Veidt is chilling as Cesare, the sleepwalking killer, scrambling over the rooftops on his deadly mission. And within context, Dr. Caligari makes a very sinister figure.
There's a couple of nice touches. An unrelated criminal attacks an old woman in hopes that his murder will be mistakenly credited to the mysterious previous ones. And Dr. Caligari has a "lifelike" dummy of Cesare that he puts in the cabinet while the somnambulist is away to create an alibi.
The title card says that this is a retelling of an 11th Century legend, though that legend itself is made up for the movie--and then there's the infamous twist ending that turns most of what we've learned on its head.
It does have to be remembered that this movie is still quite early in the history of films, and silent, so the acting can come off artificial and stiff, and the lighting is sometimes dubious. The set design actually helps by being so weird that the viewer might not feel the need to nitpick details so much.
Content note: Murder, naturally, though the actual deed is suggested by shadow, not directly shown. Some period depiction of mental illness that may come off badly to modern viewers. Older teens should be fine; younger viewers may not be ready for the conventions of silent film.
This is one of those movies that's more important than good, but it's good enough that it's worth seeing for any fan of horror or film history buff.
CRUD Challenge: Parasite (2019)
May. 27th, 2025 06:57 pmParasite (2019) dir. Bong Joon-ho
When we first meet the Kim family of Seoul, South Korea, they're living in a cramped, insect-infested basement apartment. No one currently has a paying job, so they're having to steal wi-fi from the neighbors to try to get any quick temp assignments they can, like folding pizza boxes for a day. Ki Woo (Choi Woo-sik), the eldest son, wasn't able to get into college despite his good English skills, and wasn't able to turn his mandatory military service into a lasting career. However, his school friend Min (Park Seo-joon), who did get into a good university, drops by and offers Ki Woo a tempting job opportunity.
Min has been the English tutor to wealthy high school girl Park Da Hye (Jung Ji-so) for a while, but is headed overseas for further study. He rather fancies Da Hye and plans to court her once she is also an adult, so doesn't want to turn her tutoring over to some other fellow he can't trust. With his excellent English skills and trustworthiness, Ki Woo is someone Min thinks can do the job properly. Problem! Ki Woo doesn't have any of the qualifying documents or references. Min suggests just lying--Park mother Yeon Kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong) is not the brightest and is easily fooled.
Ki Woo's artistic but kind of lazy sister Ki Jung (Park So-dam) whips him up some fake documents to make it look like he went to a good school. Yeon Kyo is mildly buzzed during the job interview and sure enough doesn't notice anything wrong. She also gives him the Western name "Kevin" as English tutors use such names and it sounds classier to her. Yeon Kyo does oversee the first lesson, and Ki Woo demonstrates that he's actually pretty good at tutoring. She happens to mention that her young son Da Song (Jung Hyun-jun) needs a new art tutor as the extremely active boy keeps driving them off.
This gives an opportunity for Ki Woo to introduce Ki Jung as "Jessica", a friend of a friend who's Korean-American and went to art school in Chicago. Ki Jung does a quick wiki search on "art therapy" and bullshits her way through the interview, but does catch that Da Song is working through some trauma and bonds with the boy. She also realizes that this scam can be extended to get her parents employed as well.
Driver Yoon (Park Keun-rok) is easily framed to get him replaced by Kim patriarch Ki Taek (Song Kang-ho), who among his many short-lived previous jobs has picked up excellent driving skills. Housekeeper Moon Gwang (Lee Jeong-eun) is harder to dislodge, as she came with the house (the original owner was also the designer, famed architect Namgoong.) It takes discovering a secret weakness to get her replaced by the Kim mother, Chung Sook (Jang Hye-jin), a former athlete and also a good cook. At last, the entire family is making good money!
However, the Namgoong house has a dark secret hidden within its walls, and the Kim family are about to reap the consequences of their actions.
This contemporary thriller won Best Picture at the Oscars, the first time a foreign-language film had ever done so. It has darkly comedic moments before the full reveal of what's going on and the horrific climax.
The movie leans heavily into social commentary. For example, the Kim family has decently good clothing for job seeking, as many poor people do, but their substandard living conditions have given them a distinct scent that marks them apart from the rich Park family. Once Park father Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) notices it, he can't stop commenting on the smell, not noticing how this is getting under the skin of Ki Taek.
And despite their wealth and social status, the Park family isn't a very happy one. They're estranged from each other in various ways, so it's easy for the Kim family to fill emotional needs for them. It's not that the Parks are evil, or even particularly mean, but they are thoughtless and insensitive, especially Dong-ik.
The movie is shot well, with sets designed to symbolize the themes of social difference and division, and how poverty "flows downhill." The acting is skillful enough to overcome the language barrier even for those not used to subtitles.
At first, it doesn't seem like the Kim family's plans are all that bad. They're good at the jobs they're applying for, and scamming rich people in return for actual value can come off as an objectively funny crime. But depriving other people of jobs hurts them (Ki Woo and Ki Taek have a brief moment of conscience over the fate of Driver Yoon), and there is more at stake than they initially realize. Their greed gets people killed.
Content note: Gory violence, some fatal. There's on-screen but clothed sex. Ki Woo and Da Hye are attracted to each other--he's an adult and she's a minor, though Ki Woo (and Min) state that he's going to wait until she's out of high school before going further. A person's allergies are deliberately triggered. Classism. Usage of Native American stereotypes. Sewage erupts through a toilet. Some rough language. This is definitely an "R" movie.
Overall: This is very different from the other Best Pictures I've watched this month which gives it extra punch. Bong is a good director, and I like all the movies I've seen of his. Most recommended to thriller fans with strong literacy so they can follow the subtitles.
When we first meet the Kim family of Seoul, South Korea, they're living in a cramped, insect-infested basement apartment. No one currently has a paying job, so they're having to steal wi-fi from the neighbors to try to get any quick temp assignments they can, like folding pizza boxes for a day. Ki Woo (Choi Woo-sik), the eldest son, wasn't able to get into college despite his good English skills, and wasn't able to turn his mandatory military service into a lasting career. However, his school friend Min (Park Seo-joon), who did get into a good university, drops by and offers Ki Woo a tempting job opportunity.
Min has been the English tutor to wealthy high school girl Park Da Hye (Jung Ji-so) for a while, but is headed overseas for further study. He rather fancies Da Hye and plans to court her once she is also an adult, so doesn't want to turn her tutoring over to some other fellow he can't trust. With his excellent English skills and trustworthiness, Ki Woo is someone Min thinks can do the job properly. Problem! Ki Woo doesn't have any of the qualifying documents or references. Min suggests just lying--Park mother Yeon Kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong) is not the brightest and is easily fooled.
Ki Woo's artistic but kind of lazy sister Ki Jung (Park So-dam) whips him up some fake documents to make it look like he went to a good school. Yeon Kyo is mildly buzzed during the job interview and sure enough doesn't notice anything wrong. She also gives him the Western name "Kevin" as English tutors use such names and it sounds classier to her. Yeon Kyo does oversee the first lesson, and Ki Woo demonstrates that he's actually pretty good at tutoring. She happens to mention that her young son Da Song (Jung Hyun-jun) needs a new art tutor as the extremely active boy keeps driving them off.
This gives an opportunity for Ki Woo to introduce Ki Jung as "Jessica", a friend of a friend who's Korean-American and went to art school in Chicago. Ki Jung does a quick wiki search on "art therapy" and bullshits her way through the interview, but does catch that Da Song is working through some trauma and bonds with the boy. She also realizes that this scam can be extended to get her parents employed as well.
Driver Yoon (Park Keun-rok) is easily framed to get him replaced by Kim patriarch Ki Taek (Song Kang-ho), who among his many short-lived previous jobs has picked up excellent driving skills. Housekeeper Moon Gwang (Lee Jeong-eun) is harder to dislodge, as she came with the house (the original owner was also the designer, famed architect Namgoong.) It takes discovering a secret weakness to get her replaced by the Kim mother, Chung Sook (Jang Hye-jin), a former athlete and also a good cook. At last, the entire family is making good money!
However, the Namgoong house has a dark secret hidden within its walls, and the Kim family are about to reap the consequences of their actions.
This contemporary thriller won Best Picture at the Oscars, the first time a foreign-language film had ever done so. It has darkly comedic moments before the full reveal of what's going on and the horrific climax.
The movie leans heavily into social commentary. For example, the Kim family has decently good clothing for job seeking, as many poor people do, but their substandard living conditions have given them a distinct scent that marks them apart from the rich Park family. Once Park father Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) notices it, he can't stop commenting on the smell, not noticing how this is getting under the skin of Ki Taek.
And despite their wealth and social status, the Park family isn't a very happy one. They're estranged from each other in various ways, so it's easy for the Kim family to fill emotional needs for them. It's not that the Parks are evil, or even particularly mean, but they are thoughtless and insensitive, especially Dong-ik.
The movie is shot well, with sets designed to symbolize the themes of social difference and division, and how poverty "flows downhill." The acting is skillful enough to overcome the language barrier even for those not used to subtitles.
At first, it doesn't seem like the Kim family's plans are all that bad. They're good at the jobs they're applying for, and scamming rich people in return for actual value can come off as an objectively funny crime. But depriving other people of jobs hurts them (Ki Woo and Ki Taek have a brief moment of conscience over the fate of Driver Yoon), and there is more at stake than they initially realize. Their greed gets people killed.
Content note: Gory violence, some fatal. There's on-screen but clothed sex. Ki Woo and Da Hye are attracted to each other--he's an adult and she's a minor, though Ki Woo (and Min) state that he's going to wait until she's out of high school before going further. A person's allergies are deliberately triggered. Classism. Usage of Native American stereotypes. Sewage erupts through a toilet. Some rough language. This is definitely an "R" movie.
Overall: This is very different from the other Best Pictures I've watched this month which gives it extra punch. Bong is a good director, and I like all the movies I've seen of his. Most recommended to thriller fans with strong literacy so they can follow the subtitles.
CRUD Challenge: Gone With the Wind
May. 18th, 2025 09:20 amGone With the Wind (1939) dir. Victor Fleming
Gerald O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell) is an Irish immigrant who got lucky in a card game many years ago, winning a substantial tract of farmland in Georgia. He married a woman of French extraction named Ellen (Barbara O'Neil) and by hard work and being a decent master to his slaves built Tara into a fine plantation, manor house and all. He has three daughters, Catherine Scarlett (Vivian Leigh), Suellen (Evelyn Keyes), and Carreen (Ann Rutherford). Scarlett, as most folk call her, is a willful but charming belle of sixteen in 1861. While proud of his Irish heritage, Mr. O'Hara has acclimated to the customs and beliefs of his Southern gentry neighbors.
Prominent slaves at Tara include housekeeper and caregiver Mammy (Hattie McDaniel), valet Pork (Oscar Polk), maid Prissy (Butterfly McQueen) and foreman Big Sam (Everett Brown). Jonas Wilkerson (Victor Jory) was, up to the moment we meet him, the white overseer of the slaves, but is a Yankee, and of low moral character, which gets him fired.
Scarlett is a shameless flirt, and enjoys the attention of all the local swains, but she has her heart set on Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), a fine young Southern gentleman and the son of John Wilkes (Howard Hickman), owner of the neighboring Twelve Oaks plantation. Ashley has a sister named India (Alicia Rhett), but Scarlett mostly ignores her. Scarlett is looking forward to the big barbecue and ball at Twelve Oaks so she can finally make it clear to Ashley that she loves him (and pin him down that he loves her.) She's fed up with all the menfolk's talk of "war", even though that seems inevitable.
At the barbecue, Scarlett is less thrilled by the arrival of some of the guests. These include Ashley's cousins Melanie (Olivia de Havilland) and Charles Hamilton (Rand Brooks). You see, there's a Wilkes custom of marrying one's cousin. And Scarlett is aware that most of the family is expecting Ashley to marry Melanie, who Scarlett considers a mealy-mouthed goody two-shoes. And there's a special guest from Charleston, a Mr. Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). Rhett's a black sheep, no longer welcome in Charleston, who made his money gambling and operating shady businesses. But John Wilkes has business with him, so despite his poor reputation, he's been invited. Rhett's interested in Scarlett, but not vice versa.
Scarlett isn't able to get Ashley alone at the barbecue (he's busy affirming his engagement to Melanie, and it's clear to the audience that neither of them is entering this relationship unwillingly), so when the ladies are supposed to be taking an afternoon nap, she sneaks downstairs to find him.
Meanwhile, the menfolk have been discussing the prospects of the upcoming war. Most of the Southerners are all for it. They figure it will be a short, victorious war of independence as Yankees can't fight for spit and the South has all the good officers. Ashley demurs, he's against war in principle as immoral, though if called to serve he will do so. Rhett, on the other hand, who has actually been to the North, warns that the Yankees' superior numbers and industrial capacity will make them difficult foes, and the South is not assured of an easy victory. This dose of facts makes the outsider very unpopular, and he walks out. Ashley goes after him to be a good host.
Scarlett waylays Ashley before he can catch up to Rhett, and after a bit of small talk drags him into the library to confess her love. Ashley tells her that he's marrying Melanie, but instead of saying that he loves his cousin, cites his "duty." It's clear that Ashley is attracted to Scarlett, but is smart enough to realize they're not compatible, and is far more comfortable in the important ways with Melanie. Scarlett isn't catching the unspoken overtones, and only sees that Ashley isn't saying that he doesn't love her. After Ashley leaves, she has a fit of temper, only to discover that Rhett was in the room all along, lying on a couch with a high back turned towards her. He indicates that he's interested in Scarlett, but she's angry and embarrassed and just not interested right now.
Before anything else can happen, it's announced that the War of Northern Aggression has begun, and all the men start getting ready to enlist. Realizing there's no time to get Ashley to change his mind, Scarlett fastens on to Charles Hamilton, who is smitten by this fiery young woman and agrees to marry her pronto, thus making Scarlett and Melanie sisters-in-law.
And there's still over three hours left of this movie!
Gone With the Wind was based on a bestselling novel of the same title, written by Margaret Mitchell. It was wildly successful, becoming the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) ever. It won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, the first acting Oscar given to a Black person.
And honestly, this is a very well-made and impressive movie. Music (the classic "Tara Theme"), special effects, costuming, set design, stuntwork (including by legendary Yakima Canutt), directing and acting are all top-notch. A very impressive amount of the novel got into the movie, justifying the nearly four-hour runtime. Which is why most of the DVD versions are on two discs.
Scarlett is an interestingly flawed protagonist. She's charming, clever when she thinks ahead (her picture is next to "conniving" in the dictionary) and a shrewd business owner. But she spends most of the runtime hankering after a man who is never going to return her love and failing to realize that Melanie is her one true friend. She's just as responsible for the failure of her eventual marriage to Rhett as he is.
And Rhett? Well, he's definitely the clearest-headed man in the movie, but he's earned his bad reputation and cannot for the life of him stop saying cynical or sarcastic things to Scarlett that damage her ability to trust him. He too can be very charming when he tries, but his normal bluntness burns bridges and at the end, he's just not willing to stay in this toxic relationship.
Mammy is also a complex character. She's essentially a second mother to Scarlett, and far more involved in her day-to-day life than Ellen. As such, Mammy often gives orders and sound advice to Miss Scarlett far beyond what their respective social stations would normally allow. Not that Scarlett, a headstrong teen, pays attention. Her bond to the O'Hara family is so strong that she continues working for them even after the war ends and she's technically free. And winning her approval is something that Rhett seriously cares about. Ms. McDonald is said to have disliked playing such a stereotyped role, but "I'd rather play a maid for seven hundred dollars than be a maid for seven dollars." And there were such women in real life.
As I've mentioned before on this blog, in the first half of the Twentieth Century, there was a concerted effort by writers and filmmakers to romanticize the Old South and present a revisionist history where the Lost Cause was noble and slavery wasn't all that bad, really. Ms. Mitchell's novel actually was a bit of a reaction to that, showing that the Old South wasn't all "magnolias and moonlight" as Rhett calls it out, but the movie smooths out some of the edges. There's no blatant mistreatment of slaves on screen or referenced, and the O'Hara slaves who have dialogue are nothing but loyal to their masters with no talk of wanting freedom. The "political meetings" that Ashley and Frank Kennedy (Carroll Nye) (Scarlett's second husband) attend are not clarified as them belonging to the Klu Klux Klan nor do we see those meetings or the raid during which Ashley is wounded and Frank killed.
On the other hand, when Scarlett decides to save money by leasing convict labor (the one kind of slavery allowed under the Fourteenth Amendment) rather than hire free black people, it's presented as a moral failing that extends on from her upbringing as a slave owner's heir.
Content note: Murder in self-defense. Marital rape off-screen. It's implied that the "renegade" wanted to rape Scarlett (in the book it's spelled out.) Many deaths from war wounds, a child dies, two miscarriages, other deaths. A horse dies on screen, and another one offscreen. Wounds are shown. Rhett's very good friend Belle Watling (Ona Munson) is pretty obviously a prostitute and extramarital sex is implied, though of course, not actually mentioned on screen. Racism towards and enslavement of black people, use of outdated terms. Women are shown in period underwear, and at one point there is a woman implied to be naked behind some furniture. Older teens will probably be okay, but younger viewers should have a responsible adult handy for discussions of heavy topics.
This is one of the all time classic movies, and well worth watching at least once. The long running time means that it's a serious commitment, so be sure to block out a full day to watch it including breaks during the musical interludes. Recommended to classic movie fans.
Gerald O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell) is an Irish immigrant who got lucky in a card game many years ago, winning a substantial tract of farmland in Georgia. He married a woman of French extraction named Ellen (Barbara O'Neil) and by hard work and being a decent master to his slaves built Tara into a fine plantation, manor house and all. He has three daughters, Catherine Scarlett (Vivian Leigh), Suellen (Evelyn Keyes), and Carreen (Ann Rutherford). Scarlett, as most folk call her, is a willful but charming belle of sixteen in 1861. While proud of his Irish heritage, Mr. O'Hara has acclimated to the customs and beliefs of his Southern gentry neighbors.
Prominent slaves at Tara include housekeeper and caregiver Mammy (Hattie McDaniel), valet Pork (Oscar Polk), maid Prissy (Butterfly McQueen) and foreman Big Sam (Everett Brown). Jonas Wilkerson (Victor Jory) was, up to the moment we meet him, the white overseer of the slaves, but is a Yankee, and of low moral character, which gets him fired.
Scarlett is a shameless flirt, and enjoys the attention of all the local swains, but she has her heart set on Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), a fine young Southern gentleman and the son of John Wilkes (Howard Hickman), owner of the neighboring Twelve Oaks plantation. Ashley has a sister named India (Alicia Rhett), but Scarlett mostly ignores her. Scarlett is looking forward to the big barbecue and ball at Twelve Oaks so she can finally make it clear to Ashley that she loves him (and pin him down that he loves her.) She's fed up with all the menfolk's talk of "war", even though that seems inevitable.
At the barbecue, Scarlett is less thrilled by the arrival of some of the guests. These include Ashley's cousins Melanie (Olivia de Havilland) and Charles Hamilton (Rand Brooks). You see, there's a Wilkes custom of marrying one's cousin. And Scarlett is aware that most of the family is expecting Ashley to marry Melanie, who Scarlett considers a mealy-mouthed goody two-shoes. And there's a special guest from Charleston, a Mr. Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). Rhett's a black sheep, no longer welcome in Charleston, who made his money gambling and operating shady businesses. But John Wilkes has business with him, so despite his poor reputation, he's been invited. Rhett's interested in Scarlett, but not vice versa.
Scarlett isn't able to get Ashley alone at the barbecue (he's busy affirming his engagement to Melanie, and it's clear to the audience that neither of them is entering this relationship unwillingly), so when the ladies are supposed to be taking an afternoon nap, she sneaks downstairs to find him.
Meanwhile, the menfolk have been discussing the prospects of the upcoming war. Most of the Southerners are all for it. They figure it will be a short, victorious war of independence as Yankees can't fight for spit and the South has all the good officers. Ashley demurs, he's against war in principle as immoral, though if called to serve he will do so. Rhett, on the other hand, who has actually been to the North, warns that the Yankees' superior numbers and industrial capacity will make them difficult foes, and the South is not assured of an easy victory. This dose of facts makes the outsider very unpopular, and he walks out. Ashley goes after him to be a good host.
Scarlett waylays Ashley before he can catch up to Rhett, and after a bit of small talk drags him into the library to confess her love. Ashley tells her that he's marrying Melanie, but instead of saying that he loves his cousin, cites his "duty." It's clear that Ashley is attracted to Scarlett, but is smart enough to realize they're not compatible, and is far more comfortable in the important ways with Melanie. Scarlett isn't catching the unspoken overtones, and only sees that Ashley isn't saying that he doesn't love her. After Ashley leaves, she has a fit of temper, only to discover that Rhett was in the room all along, lying on a couch with a high back turned towards her. He indicates that he's interested in Scarlett, but she's angry and embarrassed and just not interested right now.
Before anything else can happen, it's announced that the War of Northern Aggression has begun, and all the men start getting ready to enlist. Realizing there's no time to get Ashley to change his mind, Scarlett fastens on to Charles Hamilton, who is smitten by this fiery young woman and agrees to marry her pronto, thus making Scarlett and Melanie sisters-in-law.
And there's still over three hours left of this movie!
Gone With the Wind was based on a bestselling novel of the same title, written by Margaret Mitchell. It was wildly successful, becoming the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) ever. It won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, the first acting Oscar given to a Black person.
And honestly, this is a very well-made and impressive movie. Music (the classic "Tara Theme"), special effects, costuming, set design, stuntwork (including by legendary Yakima Canutt), directing and acting are all top-notch. A very impressive amount of the novel got into the movie, justifying the nearly four-hour runtime. Which is why most of the DVD versions are on two discs.
Scarlett is an interestingly flawed protagonist. She's charming, clever when she thinks ahead (her picture is next to "conniving" in the dictionary) and a shrewd business owner. But she spends most of the runtime hankering after a man who is never going to return her love and failing to realize that Melanie is her one true friend. She's just as responsible for the failure of her eventual marriage to Rhett as he is.
And Rhett? Well, he's definitely the clearest-headed man in the movie, but he's earned his bad reputation and cannot for the life of him stop saying cynical or sarcastic things to Scarlett that damage her ability to trust him. He too can be very charming when he tries, but his normal bluntness burns bridges and at the end, he's just not willing to stay in this toxic relationship.
Mammy is also a complex character. She's essentially a second mother to Scarlett, and far more involved in her day-to-day life than Ellen. As such, Mammy often gives orders and sound advice to Miss Scarlett far beyond what their respective social stations would normally allow. Not that Scarlett, a headstrong teen, pays attention. Her bond to the O'Hara family is so strong that she continues working for them even after the war ends and she's technically free. And winning her approval is something that Rhett seriously cares about. Ms. McDonald is said to have disliked playing such a stereotyped role, but "I'd rather play a maid for seven hundred dollars than be a maid for seven dollars." And there were such women in real life.
As I've mentioned before on this blog, in the first half of the Twentieth Century, there was a concerted effort by writers and filmmakers to romanticize the Old South and present a revisionist history where the Lost Cause was noble and slavery wasn't all that bad, really. Ms. Mitchell's novel actually was a bit of a reaction to that, showing that the Old South wasn't all "magnolias and moonlight" as Rhett calls it out, but the movie smooths out some of the edges. There's no blatant mistreatment of slaves on screen or referenced, and the O'Hara slaves who have dialogue are nothing but loyal to their masters with no talk of wanting freedom. The "political meetings" that Ashley and Frank Kennedy (Carroll Nye) (Scarlett's second husband) attend are not clarified as them belonging to the Klu Klux Klan nor do we see those meetings or the raid during which Ashley is wounded and Frank killed.
On the other hand, when Scarlett decides to save money by leasing convict labor (the one kind of slavery allowed under the Fourteenth Amendment) rather than hire free black people, it's presented as a moral failing that extends on from her upbringing as a slave owner's heir.
Content note: Murder in self-defense. Marital rape off-screen. It's implied that the "renegade" wanted to rape Scarlett (in the book it's spelled out.) Many deaths from war wounds, a child dies, two miscarriages, other deaths. A horse dies on screen, and another one offscreen. Wounds are shown. Rhett's very good friend Belle Watling (Ona Munson) is pretty obviously a prostitute and extramarital sex is implied, though of course, not actually mentioned on screen. Racism towards and enslavement of black people, use of outdated terms. Women are shown in period underwear, and at one point there is a woman implied to be naked behind some furniture. Older teens will probably be okay, but younger viewers should have a responsible adult handy for discussions of heavy topics.
This is one of the all time classic movies, and well worth watching at least once. The long running time means that it's a serious commitment, so be sure to block out a full day to watch it including breaks during the musical interludes. Recommended to classic movie fans.
CRUD Challenge: The Life of Emile Zola
May. 12th, 2025 07:27 amThe Life of Emile Zola (1937) dir. William Dieterle
We first meet Emile Zola (Paul Muni) when he is a penniless writer sharing a freezing garret with his friend, starving artist Paul Cezanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). They favor the "realist" schools of their respective crafts, which is not only unpopular with the buying public, but in Zola's case often gets him in trouble with the government censors. It's not that the censors want Zola not to write "the truth" as that he is big on uncomfortable truths that are either vulgar or show the French government in a bad light. Zola's mother and his fiancee Alexandrine (Gloria Holden) show up to rescue Emile from freezing with word he's managed to land a job at the Hachette publishing house.
It's honest work, but Emile is just scraping by. He manages to get a novel, The Confession of Claude written, but its rather explicit text upsets the censors. Even though it wasn't published by Hachette Publishing, the censors tell M. Hachette they hold him responsible for this filth because Zola is his employee. Zola refuses to restrain himself from further outrages, so Hachette discharges him.
Emile makes a few francs now and then by writing a lot of muckraking newspaper articles about the abysmal conditions the poor endure in Paris. During one of his relatively flush periods, he runs into a woman of the streets who has a particularly interesting life story. Zola fictionalizes her as "Nana" (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and this book, while of course one can't be seen reading it in public, becomes his first bestseller.
Now that the public knows Zola can write, they're ready for more of his "realism" and he has a string of successful books, to the point where the government censors just kind of give up. In the middle of this is the Franco-Prussian War, which goes very badly for the French. Zola is able to get juicy inside information on the incompetence of the General Staff of the French Army and writes a book about it. This earns him the ire of those same officers but there's little they can do as he's written the truth.
Cezanne comes to visit his old friend, and is appalled to see Zola fat and lazy, and obsessed with material objects, like a petit bourgeosis. The artist feels that Emile has abandoned his former dedication to truth above all else, and Zola admits he feels that he's done his part and should be allowed to enjoy life. Cezanne breaks contact (this is before, in real life, the painter inherited a small fortune from his father and developed the Impressionist style that made him famous.)
But trouble is brewing elsewhere. The French military turns out to have a spy in it that's been selling secrets to the Germans. The audience knows from the beginning that the traitor is Major Walzin-Esterhazy (Robert Barrat), but when the General Staff are looking at their roster, they notice that Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is a Jew. Therefore, he must be the spy! Dreyfus is railroaded based on flimsy (and later forged) evidence, much to the dismay of his wife Lucie Dreyfus (Ga;e Sondergaard). Despite all the efforts of her and Alfred's friends, he's convicted and sent to Devil's Island.
When honest officer Colonel Piquart (Henry O'Neill) discovers evidence that Esterhazy is the true culprit, his superiors inform him that they cannot afford to admit a mistake--it would ruin the reputation of the General Staff and bring about distrust of the government. He's ordered to keep quiet and shipped off to a remote post.
However Madame Dreyfus has kept her ear to the ground and learns of what went down. She goes to Emile Zola for help, and though he is initially reluctant to get involved, the full monstrosity of what's been happening ignites his righteous fury. After conducting more research, Zola prints his famous editorial, J'accuse on the front page of a newspaper. There is a great sensation, and the General Staff sues Emile for libel. The judge is obviously in the pocket of the military, and will not allow evidence on the Dreyfus Affair to be entered into the record, even though it's key to the defense's case. Plus, of course, the military witnesses except Piquart are lying their asses off.
Will justice prevail?
This classic biographical movie won the Best Picture Oscar for the year of 1937. It's certainly got points of strong interest, and Paul Muni is stellar as Zola. Schildkraut and Sondergaard, normally typecast as villains, also have excellent performances. There are stirring themes of truth, justice and striving against a corrupt system.
On the other hand, this is a very talky movie and runs slow in some long scenes--there's a fair amount of people declaiming at each other rather than actual conversations.
And of course, Hollywood history changes some events around and simplifies them for easier understanding. The most infamous bit of this is that while we see the word "Jew" in the roster and it's clear that this is the trigger for Dreyfus being suspected, it's never said aloud, and there's no spoken mention of the anti-Semitism that was a huge part of the injustice being done, and was called out by Zola in his famous editorial and at the trial. Part of this, of course, was avoiding being too "political" at a time when the Nazi Party of Germany still had a lot of friends in the United States. How deliberate this was is up for debate.
Content note: Suicide, off screen. It's heavily implied "Nana" is a prostitute, and that Zola's novels contain a lot of naughty words. Anti-semitism, however downplayed. Given the slow, talky nature of the movie, it's unlikely any children who'd be upset are going to be watching for long.
While this is certainly an important movie in film history, it's a bit of a snoozer, so is most recommended to the serious film student and history buffs.
We first meet Emile Zola (Paul Muni) when he is a penniless writer sharing a freezing garret with his friend, starving artist Paul Cezanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). They favor the "realist" schools of their respective crafts, which is not only unpopular with the buying public, but in Zola's case often gets him in trouble with the government censors. It's not that the censors want Zola not to write "the truth" as that he is big on uncomfortable truths that are either vulgar or show the French government in a bad light. Zola's mother and his fiancee Alexandrine (Gloria Holden) show up to rescue Emile from freezing with word he's managed to land a job at the Hachette publishing house.
It's honest work, but Emile is just scraping by. He manages to get a novel, The Confession of Claude written, but its rather explicit text upsets the censors. Even though it wasn't published by Hachette Publishing, the censors tell M. Hachette they hold him responsible for this filth because Zola is his employee. Zola refuses to restrain himself from further outrages, so Hachette discharges him.
Emile makes a few francs now and then by writing a lot of muckraking newspaper articles about the abysmal conditions the poor endure in Paris. During one of his relatively flush periods, he runs into a woman of the streets who has a particularly interesting life story. Zola fictionalizes her as "Nana" (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and this book, while of course one can't be seen reading it in public, becomes his first bestseller.
Now that the public knows Zola can write, they're ready for more of his "realism" and he has a string of successful books, to the point where the government censors just kind of give up. In the middle of this is the Franco-Prussian War, which goes very badly for the French. Zola is able to get juicy inside information on the incompetence of the General Staff of the French Army and writes a book about it. This earns him the ire of those same officers but there's little they can do as he's written the truth.
Cezanne comes to visit his old friend, and is appalled to see Zola fat and lazy, and obsessed with material objects, like a petit bourgeosis. The artist feels that Emile has abandoned his former dedication to truth above all else, and Zola admits he feels that he's done his part and should be allowed to enjoy life. Cezanne breaks contact (this is before, in real life, the painter inherited a small fortune from his father and developed the Impressionist style that made him famous.)
But trouble is brewing elsewhere. The French military turns out to have a spy in it that's been selling secrets to the Germans. The audience knows from the beginning that the traitor is Major Walzin-Esterhazy (Robert Barrat), but when the General Staff are looking at their roster, they notice that Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is a Jew. Therefore, he must be the spy! Dreyfus is railroaded based on flimsy (and later forged) evidence, much to the dismay of his wife Lucie Dreyfus (Ga;e Sondergaard). Despite all the efforts of her and Alfred's friends, he's convicted and sent to Devil's Island.
When honest officer Colonel Piquart (Henry O'Neill) discovers evidence that Esterhazy is the true culprit, his superiors inform him that they cannot afford to admit a mistake--it would ruin the reputation of the General Staff and bring about distrust of the government. He's ordered to keep quiet and shipped off to a remote post.
However Madame Dreyfus has kept her ear to the ground and learns of what went down. She goes to Emile Zola for help, and though he is initially reluctant to get involved, the full monstrosity of what's been happening ignites his righteous fury. After conducting more research, Zola prints his famous editorial, J'accuse on the front page of a newspaper. There is a great sensation, and the General Staff sues Emile for libel. The judge is obviously in the pocket of the military, and will not allow evidence on the Dreyfus Affair to be entered into the record, even though it's key to the defense's case. Plus, of course, the military witnesses except Piquart are lying their asses off.
Will justice prevail?
This classic biographical movie won the Best Picture Oscar for the year of 1937. It's certainly got points of strong interest, and Paul Muni is stellar as Zola. Schildkraut and Sondergaard, normally typecast as villains, also have excellent performances. There are stirring themes of truth, justice and striving against a corrupt system.
On the other hand, this is a very talky movie and runs slow in some long scenes--there's a fair amount of people declaiming at each other rather than actual conversations.
And of course, Hollywood history changes some events around and simplifies them for easier understanding. The most infamous bit of this is that while we see the word "Jew" in the roster and it's clear that this is the trigger for Dreyfus being suspected, it's never said aloud, and there's no spoken mention of the anti-Semitism that was a huge part of the injustice being done, and was called out by Zola in his famous editorial and at the trial. Part of this, of course, was avoiding being too "political" at a time when the Nazi Party of Germany still had a lot of friends in the United States. How deliberate this was is up for debate.
Content note: Suicide, off screen. It's heavily implied "Nana" is a prostitute, and that Zola's novels contain a lot of naughty words. Anti-semitism, however downplayed. Given the slow, talky nature of the movie, it's unlikely any children who'd be upset are going to be watching for long.
While this is certainly an important movie in film history, it's a bit of a snoozer, so is most recommended to the serious film student and history buffs.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) dir. Frank Lloyd
Midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone) is excited for his first Royal Navy assignment, sailing aboard the Bounty under Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton) to Tahiti to secure breadfruit trees and in Mr. Byam's case, compile a dictionary of the local language. Bligh is a brilliant navigator and mapmaker who sailed with Captain Cook, and knows Tahiti from that previous voyage. Byam is somewhat taken aback when he arrives on ship and witnesses British Navy discipline. A sailor had struck an officer and was sentenced to be flogged. That sailor has died during the punishment, but Bligh orders the corpse to continue to be flogged to carry out the entire sentence.
Captain Bligh feels it's necessary to maintain harsh discipline from the beginning of the voyage, especially as several of the crewmen have been "pressed" (grabbed off the street), including an ex-convict and a new father. Other officers are somewhat less harsh on the men, including first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) and drunken doctor Bacchus (Dudley Diggs).
On the long voyage out to Tahiti, Captain Bligh metes out disproportionate punishments for the slightest infraction, including telling him that he's mistaken, even if he is. He explodes when Mr. Christian refuses to sign a blatantly fraudulent supply log, and their relationship sours completely.
Finally the Bounty arrives at Tahiti, and is greeted by the friendly natives. We briefly see a better side of Captain Bligh as he meets with the local chief Hitihiti (Bill Bambridge) and they reminisce fondly about Captain Cook. While the crew gets no respite from hard work, they do get to walk around and see the island and interact with its people and get decent food for a change. Even Mr. Christian is allowed a short shore leave. Native girls Tehani (Movita) and Maimiti (Mamo Clark) are especially willing to keep the officers company.
After a few months gathering breadfruit trees, restocking supplies and repairing the ship, it's time to leave. Captain Bligh asserts his authority by having any personal goodies the crew brought aboard like bananas or piglets confiscated as "Crown Property." This extends to pearls Tehani gave Mr. Christian as a present for his mother. Mr. Christian pointedly repeats the words "Crown property", which Bligh bristles at. He may or may not be planning to pocket them, but he doesn't like being suspected.
About a week into the return voyage, Captain Bligh has cut the water rations to keep the breadfruit trees alive, and is generally back to his old harsh discipline self. When he orders a severely ill Dr. Bacchus on deck and the old man dies, this is the last straw for Mr. Christian, who starts a mutiny. Mr. Byam refuses to join the mutiny, and is trapped below decks when Captain Bligh and a number of other loyalists are offloaded into a small launch.
By a stunning feat of navigation and gumption, the men in the launch are able to cross 3000 miles of ocean to a safe harbor at the loss of only one man.
The mutineers and the few remaining loyalists sail the Bounty back to Tahiti, where they live relatively happily for a year. Mr. Christian has married Tehani and had a child! But a distant sail reminds them that eventually the British Navy will be coming back and the penalty for mutiny is death by hanging. So most of the mutineers and their native spouses and allies board the ship again and sail for parts unknown. Byam and the other loyalists, as well as a few mutineers who long to return to England regardless of the danger (the new father among them) stay.
Everyone is dismayed when the new ship arriving, the Pandora turns out to be commanded by the very much alive Captain Bligh, who's holding a massive grudge against his entire former crew, and is enraged when Byam and the others won't tell him where Mr. Christian sailed off to (as they honestly don't know.) The court martial back in England is a harrowing experience, but we're told by the narration that out of this experience came a new understanding of the relationship between officers and crew that improved things in the Royal Navy.
While Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian were real people, and the Bounty did indeed have a mutiny, this movie (and the remakes) is based on a trilogy of novels that greatly fictionalized the events. Many incidents in the story were made up to give Mr. Christian a more obvious motive for the mutiny, while other aspects directly contradict historical records. (For example, the movie has Bligh and Christian meeting for the first time aboard the ship--in real life, they were long-time friends.)
That said, this movie is very good. Outdoor location shooting was done in Tahiti, and most of the Tahitian extras are actual natives. Exhaustive work was put in to make the ship scenes look as authentic as possible. Mr. Laughton and Mr. Gable were chosen for their roles specifically because their personalities and lifestyles clashed, so it was easy for them to portray animosity towards each other. The supporting actors also do solid work.
There's some excellent camera work and exciting moments of sea action in between the tense character scenes.
Content note: Violence, some lethal, and other deaths. There's a gory shot of a hand being impaled. Torture (primarily flogging) and other abusive behavior. Extramarital sex is heavily implied. Bacchus drinks to excess. It'd get a PG-13 these days, I think.
My DVD copy came with a short feature "Pitcairn Island Today", about the place where the mutineers and their allies settled. When they were found twenty years later, all but one of the sailors had died, but their descendants still live there today. The feature is more marketing gimmick than documentary, but a fascinating glimpse into an isolated community.
This is a classic movie and well worth watching even if it does play fast and loose with historical details. Recommended to Clark Gable fans and those who love tales of the sea.
Midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone) is excited for his first Royal Navy assignment, sailing aboard the Bounty under Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton) to Tahiti to secure breadfruit trees and in Mr. Byam's case, compile a dictionary of the local language. Bligh is a brilliant navigator and mapmaker who sailed with Captain Cook, and knows Tahiti from that previous voyage. Byam is somewhat taken aback when he arrives on ship and witnesses British Navy discipline. A sailor had struck an officer and was sentenced to be flogged. That sailor has died during the punishment, but Bligh orders the corpse to continue to be flogged to carry out the entire sentence.
Captain Bligh feels it's necessary to maintain harsh discipline from the beginning of the voyage, especially as several of the crewmen have been "pressed" (grabbed off the street), including an ex-convict and a new father. Other officers are somewhat less harsh on the men, including first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) and drunken doctor Bacchus (Dudley Diggs).
On the long voyage out to Tahiti, Captain Bligh metes out disproportionate punishments for the slightest infraction, including telling him that he's mistaken, even if he is. He explodes when Mr. Christian refuses to sign a blatantly fraudulent supply log, and their relationship sours completely.
Finally the Bounty arrives at Tahiti, and is greeted by the friendly natives. We briefly see a better side of Captain Bligh as he meets with the local chief Hitihiti (Bill Bambridge) and they reminisce fondly about Captain Cook. While the crew gets no respite from hard work, they do get to walk around and see the island and interact with its people and get decent food for a change. Even Mr. Christian is allowed a short shore leave. Native girls Tehani (Movita) and Maimiti (Mamo Clark) are especially willing to keep the officers company.
After a few months gathering breadfruit trees, restocking supplies and repairing the ship, it's time to leave. Captain Bligh asserts his authority by having any personal goodies the crew brought aboard like bananas or piglets confiscated as "Crown Property." This extends to pearls Tehani gave Mr. Christian as a present for his mother. Mr. Christian pointedly repeats the words "Crown property", which Bligh bristles at. He may or may not be planning to pocket them, but he doesn't like being suspected.
About a week into the return voyage, Captain Bligh has cut the water rations to keep the breadfruit trees alive, and is generally back to his old harsh discipline self. When he orders a severely ill Dr. Bacchus on deck and the old man dies, this is the last straw for Mr. Christian, who starts a mutiny. Mr. Byam refuses to join the mutiny, and is trapped below decks when Captain Bligh and a number of other loyalists are offloaded into a small launch.
By a stunning feat of navigation and gumption, the men in the launch are able to cross 3000 miles of ocean to a safe harbor at the loss of only one man.
The mutineers and the few remaining loyalists sail the Bounty back to Tahiti, where they live relatively happily for a year. Mr. Christian has married Tehani and had a child! But a distant sail reminds them that eventually the British Navy will be coming back and the penalty for mutiny is death by hanging. So most of the mutineers and their native spouses and allies board the ship again and sail for parts unknown. Byam and the other loyalists, as well as a few mutineers who long to return to England regardless of the danger (the new father among them) stay.
Everyone is dismayed when the new ship arriving, the Pandora turns out to be commanded by the very much alive Captain Bligh, who's holding a massive grudge against his entire former crew, and is enraged when Byam and the others won't tell him where Mr. Christian sailed off to (as they honestly don't know.) The court martial back in England is a harrowing experience, but we're told by the narration that out of this experience came a new understanding of the relationship between officers and crew that improved things in the Royal Navy.
While Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian were real people, and the Bounty did indeed have a mutiny, this movie (and the remakes) is based on a trilogy of novels that greatly fictionalized the events. Many incidents in the story were made up to give Mr. Christian a more obvious motive for the mutiny, while other aspects directly contradict historical records. (For example, the movie has Bligh and Christian meeting for the first time aboard the ship--in real life, they were long-time friends.)
That said, this movie is very good. Outdoor location shooting was done in Tahiti, and most of the Tahitian extras are actual natives. Exhaustive work was put in to make the ship scenes look as authentic as possible. Mr. Laughton and Mr. Gable were chosen for their roles specifically because their personalities and lifestyles clashed, so it was easy for them to portray animosity towards each other. The supporting actors also do solid work.
There's some excellent camera work and exciting moments of sea action in between the tense character scenes.
Content note: Violence, some lethal, and other deaths. There's a gory shot of a hand being impaled. Torture (primarily flogging) and other abusive behavior. Extramarital sex is heavily implied. Bacchus drinks to excess. It'd get a PG-13 these days, I think.
My DVD copy came with a short feature "Pitcairn Island Today", about the place where the mutineers and their allies settled. When they were found twenty years later, all but one of the sailors had died, but their descendants still live there today. The feature is more marketing gimmick than documentary, but a fascinating glimpse into an isolated community.
This is a classic movie and well worth watching even if it does play fast and loose with historical details. Recommended to Clark Gable fans and those who love tales of the sea.
Creatures the World Forgot (1971) dir. Don Chaffey
The Dark-Haired Tribe hunters have had a successful day, bringing down an antelope while only losing one of their number to its mate. But as the tribe is divvying up the meat, The Crone (Rosalie Crutchley) directs their attention to the nearby twin mountains--which turn out to be live volcanoes that erupt moments later. One of the hunters, Mak (Brian O'Shaughnessy) mercy kills the badly crushed old leader, and successfully defeats a challenger to become the new leader.
Their homes destroyed, Mak leads the remnants of the tribe across the desert in search of a new place to live. Despite much hardship and a few more deaths, the Dark-Haired Tribe eventually comes to the dwelling place of the Fair-Haired Tribe. Fortunately, the two tribes manage to establish peaceful relations, and several of the Dark-Haired, including Mak, are able to find mates among the Fair-Haired. (One unhappy couple want each other instead of the mates picked for them, which ends badly.
Mak's mates gives birth to fraternal twins before dying. During the ceremony to welcome the babies, another woman suddenly goes into labor when a lightning strike sets a nearby tree on fire. The tribe considers sacrificing the new girl baby, but the Crone intervenes.
The twins grow up into Toomak the Fair Boy (Tony Bonner) and Rool the Dark Boy (Robin John), who are very much rivals. Mak clearly favors the taller, stronger and more competent Toomak, leaving Rool feeling jealous and resentful. The girl baby has grown into the Mute Girl (Marcia Fox) who has unusual reddish hair and is something of an outcast in the tribe (neither of the twins treat her well) but becomes the apprentice of the Crone.
On one of their adventures, the brothers wind up bringing home The Girl (Julie Ege), the last survivor of her own tiny tribe. She winds up becoming the mate of Toomak. When the now-aged Mak dies, the stage is set for the brothers to battle for leadership of the tribe!
This was the last of Hammer Films' "caveman" pictures with outdoor scenes shot in South Africa and Namibia. It skips the anachronistic dinosaurs and fluent language skills of the previous entry for a slightly more "realistic" approach. Similarly, while the young women are certainly scantily clad, they're not usually posing like they're in a men's magazine.
Because there's no intelligible dialogue or narration, the characters have to express themselves mainly through facial expression and body language, and you absolutely do have to be paying attention to follow what's going on.
The scenery is excellent, and most of the animal bits look good, with the exception of a cave bear that is obviously a man in a fur suit because he has to do stuntwork. The lava towards the beginning also looks a bit low-budget.
The main problem of the movie for me is that it kind of meanders, and it's not until a good third of the way in that the primary conflict driving the rest of the plot is established.
Content note: Lethal violence, including the death of children and animals. Suicide. Attempted rape. Mak's favoritism towards Toomak is obvious; his parenting skills are dubious. Male and female nudity, and otherwise skimpy clothing for both sexes. I think it would get an "R" rating these days.
This is a decent movie that rewards the attentive viewer. Not recommended, however, for anyone who get bored or distracted easily. Most recommended for fans of "caveman" stories.
The Dark-Haired Tribe hunters have had a successful day, bringing down an antelope while only losing one of their number to its mate. But as the tribe is divvying up the meat, The Crone (Rosalie Crutchley) directs their attention to the nearby twin mountains--which turn out to be live volcanoes that erupt moments later. One of the hunters, Mak (Brian O'Shaughnessy) mercy kills the badly crushed old leader, and successfully defeats a challenger to become the new leader.
Their homes destroyed, Mak leads the remnants of the tribe across the desert in search of a new place to live. Despite much hardship and a few more deaths, the Dark-Haired Tribe eventually comes to the dwelling place of the Fair-Haired Tribe. Fortunately, the two tribes manage to establish peaceful relations, and several of the Dark-Haired, including Mak, are able to find mates among the Fair-Haired. (One unhappy couple want each other instead of the mates picked for them, which ends badly.
Mak's mates gives birth to fraternal twins before dying. During the ceremony to welcome the babies, another woman suddenly goes into labor when a lightning strike sets a nearby tree on fire. The tribe considers sacrificing the new girl baby, but the Crone intervenes.
The twins grow up into Toomak the Fair Boy (Tony Bonner) and Rool the Dark Boy (Robin John), who are very much rivals. Mak clearly favors the taller, stronger and more competent Toomak, leaving Rool feeling jealous and resentful. The girl baby has grown into the Mute Girl (Marcia Fox) who has unusual reddish hair and is something of an outcast in the tribe (neither of the twins treat her well) but becomes the apprentice of the Crone.
On one of their adventures, the brothers wind up bringing home The Girl (Julie Ege), the last survivor of her own tiny tribe. She winds up becoming the mate of Toomak. When the now-aged Mak dies, the stage is set for the brothers to battle for leadership of the tribe!
This was the last of Hammer Films' "caveman" pictures with outdoor scenes shot in South Africa and Namibia. It skips the anachronistic dinosaurs and fluent language skills of the previous entry for a slightly more "realistic" approach. Similarly, while the young women are certainly scantily clad, they're not usually posing like they're in a men's magazine.
Because there's no intelligible dialogue or narration, the characters have to express themselves mainly through facial expression and body language, and you absolutely do have to be paying attention to follow what's going on.
The scenery is excellent, and most of the animal bits look good, with the exception of a cave bear that is obviously a man in a fur suit because he has to do stuntwork. The lava towards the beginning also looks a bit low-budget.
The main problem of the movie for me is that it kind of meanders, and it's not until a good third of the way in that the primary conflict driving the rest of the plot is established.
Content note: Lethal violence, including the death of children and animals. Suicide. Attempted rape. Mak's favoritism towards Toomak is obvious; his parenting skills are dubious. Male and female nudity, and otherwise skimpy clothing for both sexes. I think it would get an "R" rating these days.
This is a decent movie that rewards the attentive viewer. Not recommended, however, for anyone who get bored or distracted easily. Most recommended for fans of "caveman" stories.
CRUD Challenge: Three on a Ticket
Apr. 27th, 2025 09:35 amThree on a Ticket (1947) dir. Sam Newfield
Private investigator Michael "Mike" Shayne (Hugh Beaumont) has just arrived at his office when his secretary Phyllis "Phil" Hamilton (Cheryl Walker) tells him he has an appointment with a prospective client, Jim Lacy (Brooks Benedict). Lacy is a private eye from the East Coast that Mike briefly knew, with a shady reputation. When Mr. Lacy arrives, however, he's a walking dead man who doesn't even get the chance to croak out a final word. Mike finds a scrap of paper, part of a baggage claim, held tightly in the dead man's hand. He directs Phil to pretend Mike was never here today when she calls the police.
When Mike arrives back at the office "late", he pumps the cops for information, but Inspector Pete Rafferty (Ralph Dunn) is pretty sure Mike's up to something and withholding information of his own. To be fair, Rafferty's correct even if he's being a jerk about it.
Then Mike gets a new client, Helen Brimstead (Louise Currie) who needs help dealing with her blackmailing ex-husband, escaped robbery convict Mace Morgan (Douglas Fowley). She wants to marry again, but Morgan is threatening to smear her with involvement with his last robbery, the money from which was never recovered. Mr. Lacy was supposed to be helping her with this, but he wasn't licensed in California and was supposed to be contacting Mike Shayne for her. While Mike is willing to negotiate a solution for her, Helen seems more interested in the possibility of Mace getting shot in self-defense.
To make matters more complicated, federal agent Pearson (Gavin Gordon) suspects Morgan and Lacy to have branched out into espionage, having stolen plans for a new secret weapon, and there are other criminals, led by "Trigger" (Noel Cravat). attempting to get their hands on that partial baggage check.
Mike's playing this one extra-cagey, holding out on information that could clear his name quickly, and seemingly angling for a huge payout, to the point that even his reporter friend Tim Rourke (Paul Bryar) loses faith in him.
This is a pleasingly twisty plot, managing to fill about an hour with almost no dead spots. My main gripe is that it requires Mike to not trust Phil or Tim with vital information so that there's more chances for misunderstandings.
An amusing bit is that Mike is constantly eating peanuts and discarding the shells. A running gag is people searching him and tossing peanuts and shells aside in disgust.
Content note: Gunfire (lethal) and fisticuffs. There's a notable moment where Mike chooses not to take a gun with him. Torture (off-camera).
This is a decent enough short mystery, good for a rainy day or as a double feature with another mystery movie. Most recommended to private eye fans.
Private investigator Michael "Mike" Shayne (Hugh Beaumont) has just arrived at his office when his secretary Phyllis "Phil" Hamilton (Cheryl Walker) tells him he has an appointment with a prospective client, Jim Lacy (Brooks Benedict). Lacy is a private eye from the East Coast that Mike briefly knew, with a shady reputation. When Mr. Lacy arrives, however, he's a walking dead man who doesn't even get the chance to croak out a final word. Mike finds a scrap of paper, part of a baggage claim, held tightly in the dead man's hand. He directs Phil to pretend Mike was never here today when she calls the police.
When Mike arrives back at the office "late", he pumps the cops for information, but Inspector Pete Rafferty (Ralph Dunn) is pretty sure Mike's up to something and withholding information of his own. To be fair, Rafferty's correct even if he's being a jerk about it.
Then Mike gets a new client, Helen Brimstead (Louise Currie) who needs help dealing with her blackmailing ex-husband, escaped robbery convict Mace Morgan (Douglas Fowley). She wants to marry again, but Morgan is threatening to smear her with involvement with his last robbery, the money from which was never recovered. Mr. Lacy was supposed to be helping her with this, but he wasn't licensed in California and was supposed to be contacting Mike Shayne for her. While Mike is willing to negotiate a solution for her, Helen seems more interested in the possibility of Mace getting shot in self-defense.
To make matters more complicated, federal agent Pearson (Gavin Gordon) suspects Morgan and Lacy to have branched out into espionage, having stolen plans for a new secret weapon, and there are other criminals, led by "Trigger" (Noel Cravat). attempting to get their hands on that partial baggage check.
Mike's playing this one extra-cagey, holding out on information that could clear his name quickly, and seemingly angling for a huge payout, to the point that even his reporter friend Tim Rourke (Paul Bryar) loses faith in him.
This is a pleasingly twisty plot, managing to fill about an hour with almost no dead spots. My main gripe is that it requires Mike to not trust Phil or Tim with vital information so that there's more chances for misunderstandings.
An amusing bit is that Mike is constantly eating peanuts and discarding the shells. A running gag is people searching him and tossing peanuts and shells aside in disgust.
Content note: Gunfire (lethal) and fisticuffs. There's a notable moment where Mike chooses not to take a gun with him. Torture (off-camera).
This is a decent enough short mystery, good for a rainy day or as a double feature with another mystery movie. Most recommended to private eye fans.
CRUD Challenge: Batman vs. Two-Face
Apr. 13th, 2025 08:46 amBatman vs. Two-Face (2017) dir. Rick Morales
It is night at Gotham Penitentiary, and a small group of people have gathered to witness a bizarre experiment. Doctor Hugo Strange wants to use his new Evil Extractor to remove the criminal impulses from Gotham City's super-criminals in order to make them not evil anymore. Present are Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Police Chief O'Hara, and District Attorney Harvey Dent, an old friend of Bruce Wayne's. Several of Gotham's nastiest crooks, especially the Joker and Penguin, are escorted in and hooked up to the device. Unfortunately, there is so much evil in them that it overwhelms the machine, and the storage vat for the extract explodes, mutilating Harvey Dent and turning him into the villainous Two-Face.
Some months later, extensive plastic surgery seems to have repaired the damage to Dent's face and restored his mental balance. He's paid his debt to society, and resumes his prosecutorial duties, though at a much demoted level. But when other costumed criminals prove to have been manipulated by someone else, the clues point to Two-Face still being active. And yet Harvey appears to be just fine, so Bruce Wayne wants to believe he's innocent.
What's really going on, and can Two-Face's ultimate plot be foiled without killing Harvey Dent? Tune in to this same Bat-Channel to find out!
This animated movie is based on the Sixties live-action Batman television series, and stars the voices of several of the stars of that show. Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Julie Newmar as Catwoman. There's a cameo role for Lee Meriwether, who also played Catwoman (sadly the third Catwoman, Eartha Kitt, had passed away.) And the special guest star is the voice of William Shatner as Two-Face.
We last saw West and Shatner together on this blog in Alexander the Great a TV pilot made before they got their plum roles. During the run of Batman, William Shatner was unavailable to guest star as he was busy being Captain Kirk over on Star Trek. Back at the time, the plan was to have Clint Eastwood(!) play Two-Face, but the character was deemed too scary for child viewers--and given how intense Mr. Eastwood would have played him, yeah.
For the most part, the movie emulates the tone of the series, though most of the scenes take place at night, which gives it a darker resonance. This origin for Two-Face slides away from the mental illness aspect usually associated with the character, having the evil personality be the product of literal evil contamination. Shatner's delivery works well here, establishing that even when Harvey's "normal" there's a hesitancy that raises suspicion.
It is pretty obvious that the main voice actors are much older now than the characters they're playing, but they can still catch the imagination and inspire feelings.
There are some moments that are leaning on the fourth wall, such as when Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara try to talk tough like they're in a serious police drama, but then admit they're helpless without Batman. And a shoutout to the slash fiction fans when Aunt Harriet gushes about how Bruce and Harvey are "two handsome bachelors who are such good friends!" The interactions between Bruce, Harvey and Dick do play out as something of a platonic love triangle.
For all the silliness, Adam West's Batman is one of the best versions of the character. His belief that Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle can eventually be redeemed and restored to society is very genuine, even if only one of those people is fully saved.
Content note: Lots of fisticuffs, some gun violence; no one is killed or even seriously injured. O'Hara commits police brutality (It's played for laughs, but is one of the few sour notes in the movie). King Tut's mental illness is played for laughs. Body horror.
This was Adam West's last movie, and a fine sendoff for both him and this version of Batman. Recommended to superhero fans who prefer their caped crusaders clean-cut.
It is night at Gotham Penitentiary, and a small group of people have gathered to witness a bizarre experiment. Doctor Hugo Strange wants to use his new Evil Extractor to remove the criminal impulses from Gotham City's super-criminals in order to make them not evil anymore. Present are Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Police Chief O'Hara, and District Attorney Harvey Dent, an old friend of Bruce Wayne's. Several of Gotham's nastiest crooks, especially the Joker and Penguin, are escorted in and hooked up to the device. Unfortunately, there is so much evil in them that it overwhelms the machine, and the storage vat for the extract explodes, mutilating Harvey Dent and turning him into the villainous Two-Face.
Some months later, extensive plastic surgery seems to have repaired the damage to Dent's face and restored his mental balance. He's paid his debt to society, and resumes his prosecutorial duties, though at a much demoted level. But when other costumed criminals prove to have been manipulated by someone else, the clues point to Two-Face still being active. And yet Harvey appears to be just fine, so Bruce Wayne wants to believe he's innocent.
What's really going on, and can Two-Face's ultimate plot be foiled without killing Harvey Dent? Tune in to this same Bat-Channel to find out!
This animated movie is based on the Sixties live-action Batman television series, and stars the voices of several of the stars of that show. Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Julie Newmar as Catwoman. There's a cameo role for Lee Meriwether, who also played Catwoman (sadly the third Catwoman, Eartha Kitt, had passed away.) And the special guest star is the voice of William Shatner as Two-Face.
We last saw West and Shatner together on this blog in Alexander the Great a TV pilot made before they got their plum roles. During the run of Batman, William Shatner was unavailable to guest star as he was busy being Captain Kirk over on Star Trek. Back at the time, the plan was to have Clint Eastwood(!) play Two-Face, but the character was deemed too scary for child viewers--and given how intense Mr. Eastwood would have played him, yeah.
For the most part, the movie emulates the tone of the series, though most of the scenes take place at night, which gives it a darker resonance. This origin for Two-Face slides away from the mental illness aspect usually associated with the character, having the evil personality be the product of literal evil contamination. Shatner's delivery works well here, establishing that even when Harvey's "normal" there's a hesitancy that raises suspicion.
It is pretty obvious that the main voice actors are much older now than the characters they're playing, but they can still catch the imagination and inspire feelings.
There are some moments that are leaning on the fourth wall, such as when Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara try to talk tough like they're in a serious police drama, but then admit they're helpless without Batman. And a shoutout to the slash fiction fans when Aunt Harriet gushes about how Bruce and Harvey are "two handsome bachelors who are such good friends!" The interactions between Bruce, Harvey and Dick do play out as something of a platonic love triangle.
For all the silliness, Adam West's Batman is one of the best versions of the character. His belief that Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle can eventually be redeemed and restored to society is very genuine, even if only one of those people is fully saved.
Content note: Lots of fisticuffs, some gun violence; no one is killed or even seriously injured. O'Hara commits police brutality (It's played for laughs, but is one of the few sour notes in the movie). King Tut's mental illness is played for laughs. Body horror.
This was Adam West's last movie, and a fine sendoff for both him and this version of Batman. Recommended to superhero fans who prefer their caped crusaders clean-cut.
984: Prisoner of the Future (1982) dir. Tibor Takacs
It is the indefinite near future, and 984 is a prisoner...somewhere. Previously, he'd been Tom Weston (Stephen Markle), a slightly smarmy corporate executive. It's not clear what his corporation did, as the flashbacks are maddeningly vague, but they were somehow either involved with or opposed to the rise of the Movement. 984 is accused of actions against the Movement, or perhaps merely hanging out with people who took actions against the Movement. The Warden (Don Francks) has been interrogating him off and on for years, but 984 claims he's innocent or at least unaware of what his crime may have been.
This 1982 TV movie takes inspiration from 1984 (the cell block #984 is imprisoned in is #19 just in case you needed another hint) and Kafka's The Trial. And the ending twists from perhaps another source. While you can grasp the generalities of the backstory, it's never quite clear what Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot), the leader of the Movement, has as his actual plan beyond overthrowing the old order. Some of the prisoners are corporate types like Weston, but not all of them.
As the story wears on, what exactly the Warden wants remains unclear. Is he looking for the truth, as he claims? Trying to break 984's spirit once and for all? Or is he just desperate to pass the time, as much trapped in the prison as 984 is?
This movie really does show its low budget, clearly having 90% of the scenes shot in one big building. There's an odd computer monitor and some "futuristic" costume choices, but the main science fiction element is that the prison uses robotic hall guards, and they're not particularly effective once confronted.
Content note: Some torture, at least one prisoner dies and we see the corpse. There's a woman described as Weston's "mistress" but in the flashbacks he doesn't seem invested in the relationship, and 984 only ever mentions his wife. Weston gets a little violent during an escape attempt towards the end, but only a robot is harmed.
This is one of those painfully slow, deliberately obscure movies that might have been "arty" with a bit more care put into all its aspects, but as is, is a time-waster that's not even good for bad movie night.
It is the indefinite near future, and 984 is a prisoner...somewhere. Previously, he'd been Tom Weston (Stephen Markle), a slightly smarmy corporate executive. It's not clear what his corporation did, as the flashbacks are maddeningly vague, but they were somehow either involved with or opposed to the rise of the Movement. 984 is accused of actions against the Movement, or perhaps merely hanging out with people who took actions against the Movement. The Warden (Don Francks) has been interrogating him off and on for years, but 984 claims he's innocent or at least unaware of what his crime may have been.
This 1982 TV movie takes inspiration from 1984 (the cell block #984 is imprisoned in is #19 just in case you needed another hint) and Kafka's The Trial. And the ending twists from perhaps another source. While you can grasp the generalities of the backstory, it's never quite clear what Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot), the leader of the Movement, has as his actual plan beyond overthrowing the old order. Some of the prisoners are corporate types like Weston, but not all of them.
As the story wears on, what exactly the Warden wants remains unclear. Is he looking for the truth, as he claims? Trying to break 984's spirit once and for all? Or is he just desperate to pass the time, as much trapped in the prison as 984 is?
This movie really does show its low budget, clearly having 90% of the scenes shot in one big building. There's an odd computer monitor and some "futuristic" costume choices, but the main science fiction element is that the prison uses robotic hall guards, and they're not particularly effective once confronted.
Content note: Some torture, at least one prisoner dies and we see the corpse. There's a woman described as Weston's "mistress" but in the flashbacks he doesn't seem invested in the relationship, and 984 only ever mentions his wife. Weston gets a little violent during an escape attempt towards the end, but only a robot is harmed.
This is one of those painfully slow, deliberately obscure movies that might have been "arty" with a bit more care put into all its aspects, but as is, is a time-waster that's not even good for bad movie night.
The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936) dir. William Clemens
Perry Mason (Warren Williams) invades the night court of Judge Mary F O'Daugherty (Clara Blandick) with an urgent matter--marrying his secretary, Della Street (Claire Dodd)! As the happy couple pose for the press photographers, Perry announces his retirement from criminal law. From now on he will only handle civil suits, which will not place him in nearly as much danger. Now the newlyweds are off to Pinehurst resort for their honeymoon. Except that last part's not true. Knowing that his friends are all merry pranksters, Perry has his private detective sidekick Spudsy Drake (Eddie Acuff) to drive him and Della back to his apartment.
Not that this makes things any smoother for the newlyweds. Concealed within the apartment is a desperate woman (Wini Shaw) with a gun. The woman, who we will come to know as Eva Belter, forces Perry to take a $5000 retainer at gunpoint. She is, she says, the "other woman" politician Peter Milnor (Kenneth Harland) was seen with in a certain location. Proof of this has fallen into the hands of Frank Locke (Addison Richards), the editor of "Spicy Bits", a scandal sheet, who's using it to blackmail Milnor. She wants smart lawyer Mason to keep the story out of print by any means necessary.
Locke isn't persuadable, but Perry Mason is a sharpie, and figures out he isn't really the boss of the paper. The secret owner is a man named George C. Belter (Joe King). Perry confronts the man, but even the threat of legal action isn't going to convince Mr. Belter (as he's perfectly willing to punish his unfaithful wife along with the politician.) Later that evening, Eva confronts her husband with that gun we mentioned earlier, and fires a shot.
Mr. Belter is found dead with a bullet in him, and Mrs. Belter is a top suspect. But so is Perry Mason, especially as Eva is trying to frame the lawyer for the murder. Can Perry figure out whodunnit, clear his name, and finally get some alone time with his blushing bride?
This fourth Perry Mason film is the last with Warren Williams, but is loosely based on the very first Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. It kind of makes sense for the finale of his version of the character to finally resolve his relationship with the lovely Della, even if this never happened in the books.
Despite how bleak things are looking for our favorite attorney, there's still quite a bit of humor. Perry catches a cold and spreads it to multiple people, and Spudsy dons a series of bizarre "disguises" while searching for background information.
Mr. Williams and Ms. Dodd do a good job as the frustrated romantic leads, and there are some nifty moments. Still, it felt like the comedy was used a bit too much to stretch the run time, which is weird because it's only just over an hour.
If you watched the previous three Perry Mason movies, this one is a decent capper, but I would not recommend it without having seen at least one of the others to get used to this version of the character.
Perry Mason (Warren Williams) invades the night court of Judge Mary F O'Daugherty (Clara Blandick) with an urgent matter--marrying his secretary, Della Street (Claire Dodd)! As the happy couple pose for the press photographers, Perry announces his retirement from criminal law. From now on he will only handle civil suits, which will not place him in nearly as much danger. Now the newlyweds are off to Pinehurst resort for their honeymoon. Except that last part's not true. Knowing that his friends are all merry pranksters, Perry has his private detective sidekick Spudsy Drake (Eddie Acuff) to drive him and Della back to his apartment.
Not that this makes things any smoother for the newlyweds. Concealed within the apartment is a desperate woman (Wini Shaw) with a gun. The woman, who we will come to know as Eva Belter, forces Perry to take a $5000 retainer at gunpoint. She is, she says, the "other woman" politician Peter Milnor (Kenneth Harland) was seen with in a certain location. Proof of this has fallen into the hands of Frank Locke (Addison Richards), the editor of "Spicy Bits", a scandal sheet, who's using it to blackmail Milnor. She wants smart lawyer Mason to keep the story out of print by any means necessary.
Locke isn't persuadable, but Perry Mason is a sharpie, and figures out he isn't really the boss of the paper. The secret owner is a man named George C. Belter (Joe King). Perry confronts the man, but even the threat of legal action isn't going to convince Mr. Belter (as he's perfectly willing to punish his unfaithful wife along with the politician.) Later that evening, Eva confronts her husband with that gun we mentioned earlier, and fires a shot.
Mr. Belter is found dead with a bullet in him, and Mrs. Belter is a top suspect. But so is Perry Mason, especially as Eva is trying to frame the lawyer for the murder. Can Perry figure out whodunnit, clear his name, and finally get some alone time with his blushing bride?
This fourth Perry Mason film is the last with Warren Williams, but is loosely based on the very first Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. It kind of makes sense for the finale of his version of the character to finally resolve his relationship with the lovely Della, even if this never happened in the books.
Despite how bleak things are looking for our favorite attorney, there's still quite a bit of humor. Perry catches a cold and spreads it to multiple people, and Spudsy dons a series of bizarre "disguises" while searching for background information.
Mr. Williams and Ms. Dodd do a good job as the frustrated romantic leads, and there are some nifty moments. Still, it felt like the comedy was used a bit too much to stretch the run time, which is weird because it's only just over an hour.
If you watched the previous three Perry Mason movies, this one is a decent capper, but I would not recommend it without having seen at least one of the others to get used to this version of the character.
The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969) dir. George McCowan
Corporal Andy Crocker (Lee Majors) is a hero. At least that's what the medal he won for bravery and getting wounded in action in Vietnam says. But his draft obligation is finally over, and Andy is flying back to the States with his best friend from his platoon, David Owens (Marvin Gaye). He dreams of his home near Dallas, Texas, returning to the loving arms of his sweetheart Lisa (Joey Heatherton) and taking up his old business, a motorcycle shop and racing track.
But even as he gets praise from other travelers, we learn there may be trouble on the horizon. Lisa sent Andy a letter a few months back suggesting they should try dating other people. The semi-literate Andy (he dropped out after third grade, though he's actually good at business math) didn't get around to writing her back, figuring he'd make his case in person.
Landing in Los Angeles, and the next bus to Texas not being until morning, Andy decides to go out on the town. There's some indication that the civilians are fed up with the draft, and there's not much he's interested in until Andy meets hippie girl Karen (Jill Haworth) who invites him to a party. She's interested in the handsome stranger, and listens to his story. Unfortunately, when the men arrive with the "party supplies", they aren't happy with Andy being there. (They're afraid the clean-cut soldier boy will narc on them for doing drugs.)
The main male hippie makes it clear that Andy isn't wanted, and insults him. Corporal Crocker leaves, but takes the hippie's motorcycle with him. Andy starts riding east, apparently just leaving his rucksack wherever he'd stowed it, and shows up in Texas a couple of days later, not even having changed out of his uniform.
Andy's parents Earl (Pat Hingle) and Emily Crocker (Claudia Bryar) are thrilled to see him alive and home at last, their joy papering over the family quarrels that had been building up before their son was drafted.
Things start going downhill from there. Andy discovers that his business partner Mack (Jimmy Dean) has run their motorcycle shop into the ground; his other motorcycle racing buddy Joe Bob (Bobby Hatfield) had married for money (only to find out all the money was in his wife's name), and no one came to the track races anymore, so the track was sold for development. All the money Andy sent home from his Army pay just barely kept the doors open. However Mack does have a potential buyer that will turn the motorcycle shop into a used car dealership and the money from the sale would be a decent nest egg. Pity that Andy doesn't want to sell; he's convinced he can turn the place around.
And Lisa? Well, she's married now. Has been, ever since she sent that letter. Her mother (Agnes Moorehead) introduced her to an up-and-coming executive. We don't get the whole backstory but it's clear Lisa is still fond of Andy. But she has her reasons why she has to stick with her husband.
This 1969 TV movie was one of the first to address the issues facing returning veterans from the Vietnam War. The mood of the country had turned against the war. and there was a distinct lack of support for the returnees and their problems. The later cliche of the "crazed Vietnam vet" was not a thing yet, but it's clear that Andy has unresolved issues. Yes, things have gone sour for his homecoming, but he's offered several ways of at least scraping by. No, he has to have the life he was taken from by the war, and this sends him into a tailspin.
The stolen motorcycle, Lisa's mother putting out an arrest warrant for Andy, and Mack tricking him into signing away the shop combine to snap Andy's temper, and he punches out his former friend. Then there's a motorcycle chase with the cops. Andy manages to evade them, but runs out of gas and just discards the bike.
In Oakland, Andy connects with David, who has a night shift factory job, barely. David's willing to put up his buddy for a day or two, but his wife fears that Andy won't be able to get back on his feet and become a long term guest in their tiny apartment. Andy winds up huddling on the steps of the local Army recruiting office in the early morning, there not being anywhere else for him to go.
The "ballad" part of the title comes from the sung narration that plays every so often over montages, going from optimistic to despairing as the movie goes on. Bizarrely, it's not done by any of the three music stars that are in the movie. Some reviewers found it set their teeth on edge. I just found it mediocre.
This is a bleak movie, and is mostly interesting for being the first of its kind; there have been much better movies about Vietnam veterans returning home. Recommended to Lee Majors fans.
Corporal Andy Crocker (Lee Majors) is a hero. At least that's what the medal he won for bravery and getting wounded in action in Vietnam says. But his draft obligation is finally over, and Andy is flying back to the States with his best friend from his platoon, David Owens (Marvin Gaye). He dreams of his home near Dallas, Texas, returning to the loving arms of his sweetheart Lisa (Joey Heatherton) and taking up his old business, a motorcycle shop and racing track.
But even as he gets praise from other travelers, we learn there may be trouble on the horizon. Lisa sent Andy a letter a few months back suggesting they should try dating other people. The semi-literate Andy (he dropped out after third grade, though he's actually good at business math) didn't get around to writing her back, figuring he'd make his case in person.
Landing in Los Angeles, and the next bus to Texas not being until morning, Andy decides to go out on the town. There's some indication that the civilians are fed up with the draft, and there's not much he's interested in until Andy meets hippie girl Karen (Jill Haworth) who invites him to a party. She's interested in the handsome stranger, and listens to his story. Unfortunately, when the men arrive with the "party supplies", they aren't happy with Andy being there. (They're afraid the clean-cut soldier boy will narc on them for doing drugs.)
The main male hippie makes it clear that Andy isn't wanted, and insults him. Corporal Crocker leaves, but takes the hippie's motorcycle with him. Andy starts riding east, apparently just leaving his rucksack wherever he'd stowed it, and shows up in Texas a couple of days later, not even having changed out of his uniform.
Andy's parents Earl (Pat Hingle) and Emily Crocker (Claudia Bryar) are thrilled to see him alive and home at last, their joy papering over the family quarrels that had been building up before their son was drafted.
Things start going downhill from there. Andy discovers that his business partner Mack (Jimmy Dean) has run their motorcycle shop into the ground; his other motorcycle racing buddy Joe Bob (Bobby Hatfield) had married for money (only to find out all the money was in his wife's name), and no one came to the track races anymore, so the track was sold for development. All the money Andy sent home from his Army pay just barely kept the doors open. However Mack does have a potential buyer that will turn the motorcycle shop into a used car dealership and the money from the sale would be a decent nest egg. Pity that Andy doesn't want to sell; he's convinced he can turn the place around.
And Lisa? Well, she's married now. Has been, ever since she sent that letter. Her mother (Agnes Moorehead) introduced her to an up-and-coming executive. We don't get the whole backstory but it's clear Lisa is still fond of Andy. But she has her reasons why she has to stick with her husband.
This 1969 TV movie was one of the first to address the issues facing returning veterans from the Vietnam War. The mood of the country had turned against the war. and there was a distinct lack of support for the returnees and their problems. The later cliche of the "crazed Vietnam vet" was not a thing yet, but it's clear that Andy has unresolved issues. Yes, things have gone sour for his homecoming, but he's offered several ways of at least scraping by. No, he has to have the life he was taken from by the war, and this sends him into a tailspin.
The stolen motorcycle, Lisa's mother putting out an arrest warrant for Andy, and Mack tricking him into signing away the shop combine to snap Andy's temper, and he punches out his former friend. Then there's a motorcycle chase with the cops. Andy manages to evade them, but runs out of gas and just discards the bike.
In Oakland, Andy connects with David, who has a night shift factory job, barely. David's willing to put up his buddy for a day or two, but his wife fears that Andy won't be able to get back on his feet and become a long term guest in their tiny apartment. Andy winds up huddling on the steps of the local Army recruiting office in the early morning, there not being anywhere else for him to go.
The "ballad" part of the title comes from the sung narration that plays every so often over montages, going from optimistic to despairing as the movie goes on. Bizarrely, it's not done by any of the three music stars that are in the movie. Some reviewers found it set their teeth on edge. I just found it mediocre.
This is a bleak movie, and is mostly interesting for being the first of its kind; there have been much better movies about Vietnam veterans returning home. Recommended to Lee Majors fans.
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935) dir. Ford Beebe
On the island of Sujan in the Indian Ocean, the natives worship the horse god. They venerate all horses, but only one is the incarnation of the horse god, the God-Horse Rex, King of the Wild Horses (Rex). Wealthy and unscrupulous polo player Crawford (Harry Woods) has come to buy some of the island's fine horses, but high priest Tanaga (Mischa Auer) would never part with one of the sacred animals for mere money, and especially not Rex! Crawford contrives to steal the God-Horse, and succeeds but abandons one of his henchmen for dead.
No sooner has Crawford gotten Rex to his ranch in the hill country of California than the wily horse escapes. He soon makes friends with Rinty (Rin-Tin-Tin Jr.), a homeless German Shepherd. The two intelligent animals find some refuge at the Bruce Riding Academy, run by Mr. Bruce (Allan Cavan) and his daughter Dorothy (Norma Taylor). The riding academy employs bumbling stable hand Jensen (Smiley Burnette) and also stable the horses of popular and goodhearted polo player Frank Bradley (Kane Richmond).
Frank and Dorothy win over the animals with their kindness and good hearts. But Crawford is determined to have Rex back and break him into a proper polo horse by any means necessary.
To make things more complicated, the abandoned henchman shows up; he's been promised his life with be spared if he helps Sujan native Pasha (Pedro Regas) rescue Rex and restore the God-Horse to the island.
This sets the stage for multiple chases, abductions, fistfights, fires and general excitement before Rex is returned to Sujan, only to face one last test of his godhood.
This 12-episode black and white serial was the next to last produced by the Mascot studio, and the second teaming up the two animal stars. Rin Tin Tin Jr. was of course the son of the great movie star who'd passed in 1932.
While Rex and Rinty are depicted as being smart for their respective species, to the point of uncanniness for Rinty, their stunts are still within the plausible limits of animals. On the other hand, there is a fantasy element. Sujan is depicted as being in the same spot Seychelles is in the real world, but its culture is nothing like the real-world country. Also, Pasha has a mental link to Tanaga, able to report back to the high priest from across the globe. In general, the treatment of the Sujanese isn't bad by 1930s standards.
This is middling stuff as serials go, with okay action but dull characters. Crawford just never makes "evil polo player" come across as over the top as that phrase would indicate. There's at least one blantant cliffhanger copout at the end of Episode 11/beginning of Episode 12.
Content note: Loads of violence, some lethal (first corpse in Episode 6) but no animals die. Be aware though that animals are frequently in peril, and there's what amounts to animal abuse. One child in peril, he's fine though. Sexism only in that Dorothy is the only plot-relevant female character.
This is not the best Rin Tin Tin serial, so you may want to wait until you need it to complete a checklist (Ralph Byrd has a cameo as a forest ranger!)
On the island of Sujan in the Indian Ocean, the natives worship the horse god. They venerate all horses, but only one is the incarnation of the horse god, the God-Horse Rex, King of the Wild Horses (Rex). Wealthy and unscrupulous polo player Crawford (Harry Woods) has come to buy some of the island's fine horses, but high priest Tanaga (Mischa Auer) would never part with one of the sacred animals for mere money, and especially not Rex! Crawford contrives to steal the God-Horse, and succeeds but abandons one of his henchmen for dead.
No sooner has Crawford gotten Rex to his ranch in the hill country of California than the wily horse escapes. He soon makes friends with Rinty (Rin-Tin-Tin Jr.), a homeless German Shepherd. The two intelligent animals find some refuge at the Bruce Riding Academy, run by Mr. Bruce (Allan Cavan) and his daughter Dorothy (Norma Taylor). The riding academy employs bumbling stable hand Jensen (Smiley Burnette) and also stable the horses of popular and goodhearted polo player Frank Bradley (Kane Richmond).
Frank and Dorothy win over the animals with their kindness and good hearts. But Crawford is determined to have Rex back and break him into a proper polo horse by any means necessary.
To make things more complicated, the abandoned henchman shows up; he's been promised his life with be spared if he helps Sujan native Pasha (Pedro Regas) rescue Rex and restore the God-Horse to the island.
This sets the stage for multiple chases, abductions, fistfights, fires and general excitement before Rex is returned to Sujan, only to face one last test of his godhood.
This 12-episode black and white serial was the next to last produced by the Mascot studio, and the second teaming up the two animal stars. Rin Tin Tin Jr. was of course the son of the great movie star who'd passed in 1932.
While Rex and Rinty are depicted as being smart for their respective species, to the point of uncanniness for Rinty, their stunts are still within the plausible limits of animals. On the other hand, there is a fantasy element. Sujan is depicted as being in the same spot Seychelles is in the real world, but its culture is nothing like the real-world country. Also, Pasha has a mental link to Tanaga, able to report back to the high priest from across the globe. In general, the treatment of the Sujanese isn't bad by 1930s standards.
This is middling stuff as serials go, with okay action but dull characters. Crawford just never makes "evil polo player" come across as over the top as that phrase would indicate. There's at least one blantant cliffhanger copout at the end of Episode 11/beginning of Episode 12.
Content note: Loads of violence, some lethal (first corpse in Episode 6) but no animals die. Be aware though that animals are frequently in peril, and there's what amounts to animal abuse. One child in peril, he's fine though. Sexism only in that Dorothy is the only plot-relevant female character.
This is not the best Rin Tin Tin serial, so you may want to wait until you need it to complete a checklist (Ralph Byrd has a cameo as a forest ranger!)
CRUD Challenge: The Living Daylights
Feb. 24th, 2025 06:57 pmThe Living Daylights (1987) dir. John Glen
As part of a training exercise, several 00-class agents of British intelligence agency MI6 are assigned to infiltrate the military installation on the Rock of Gibraltar. The defenders are armed with paint-guns, but there's a ringer, a Soviet agent who is taking the opportunity to kill the British agents. He manages to assassinate two of them, leaving behind a deliberate reference to SMERSH ("death to spies"). But the third British agent is 007, James Bond (Timothy Dalton). Bond is able to eliminate the assassin in an explosion.
Shortly thereafter, Bond is assigned to assist KGB general Gerogi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé) to defect to the West. He cooperates with Czechoslovakia section chief Saunders (Thomas Wheatley), but while they're setting up the scenario at a Bratislava concert hall, James notices that cellist Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo) is acting a bit oddly. Sure enough, during the extraction it turns out that she's the sniper assigned to keep Koskov from escaping. Bond notices more details, and disobeys orders to kill her, instead shooting the rifle out of her hands, then helping get Koskov through the Trans-Siberian pipeline.
Once in England, Koskov explains that his superior, General Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies) has been turning hard-liner, wanting to undercut detente and eliminate opponents using SMERSH. Before he can settle in, Koskov is recaptured by Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) disguised as a milkman.
M (Robert Brown) wants Bond to head to Tangier, Morocco to deal with General Pushkin, but James takes a detour back to Czechoslovakia to check on Kara Milov. He is able to establish that she had blanks in her rifle, as part of Koslov's fake defection. She's being hassled by the KGB, and James is able to trick her into believing he's Koslov's friend and sent to bring her to her lover in Vienna. Exciting chase scene ensues.
Meanwhile, Pushkin visits Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker), an American arms dealer with delusions of being a great military man. Pushkin asks for the KGB's money back on an arms deal for high tech weapons, but Whitaker claims he has already spent the cash (the KGB knows otherwise). Pushkin also knows that Whitaker and Koskov are working together, and threatens the arms dealer if he can't come up with the refund.
Back in Vienna, Bond and Kara are becoming closer while Saunders and the rest of MI6 look into what 007 has discovered. They discover the connection to Whitaker, but at the cost of Saunders' life.
In Tangier, James Bond determines that he was correct and General Pushkin is not in league with General Koskov. (Not without roughing Pushkin up a bit first, of course.) They fake Pushkin's death, but Koskov uses this to trick Kara into turning against James. Bond and Kara are taken to Afghanistan for execution, but this is nowhere near the end....
This was the first Timothy Dalton Bond movie, and had a shift of focus from the Roger Moore run. Dalton's Bond was a bit harder-edged, and while the plot isn't particularly plausible, it's more "down to earth", with weapons and drug dealing rather than science fiction devices or world endangerment. Also, while it's clear that 007 is still a womanizer, he only flirts with one woman, Kara, and only consummates their relationship after the movie is over. Dalton's Bond doesn't do as many one-liners, allowing other characters and situations to provider the humor.
Krabbé and Baker do a good job as the villains, personable enough to make it plausible that they've reached their current positions, but cold-blooded enough to explain why they're the bad guys. Necros fills in as the actual combat henchman, an okay but limited role. His best bits are when dressed as a milkman. A nice touch is that Whitaker has a collection of wax figures of famous military leaders, but they look a bit off...because they all have Whitaker's face.
The theme song by A-ha! is okay, but not top ten of James Bond movie themes.
The most notable political moment in the movie is the part set in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. While the Mujahideen are the scrappy underdogs against the Russian invaders, they're not untarnished good guys. Local leader Kamran Shah (Art Malik) has to work with opium lords if he wants to continue resistance work...though he's okay with Bond blowing up the drugs after they leave the camp. Younger viewers who only remember recent Afghanistan events may want to read up on the history.
As always, excellent stunts, action sequences and special effects. Kara Milov is surprisingly more combat effective than her background would suggest. (Indeed, she does better than some Bond girls who were supposed to be combat trained.)
Content note: Murder, lots of other violence, sometimes fatal. Extramarital sex is implied, a bit of male nudity as a gag. Alcohol use, mention of opium, Bond's drugged at one point. Late teens and up should be fine.
This wouldn't be my choice as the first 007 movie for a beginner to watch, but it's still well done. Recommended to those who prefer their Bond a bit more grounded.
As part of a training exercise, several 00-class agents of British intelligence agency MI6 are assigned to infiltrate the military installation on the Rock of Gibraltar. The defenders are armed with paint-guns, but there's a ringer, a Soviet agent who is taking the opportunity to kill the British agents. He manages to assassinate two of them, leaving behind a deliberate reference to SMERSH ("death to spies"). But the third British agent is 007, James Bond (Timothy Dalton). Bond is able to eliminate the assassin in an explosion.
Shortly thereafter, Bond is assigned to assist KGB general Gerogi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé) to defect to the West. He cooperates with Czechoslovakia section chief Saunders (Thomas Wheatley), but while they're setting up the scenario at a Bratislava concert hall, James notices that cellist Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo) is acting a bit oddly. Sure enough, during the extraction it turns out that she's the sniper assigned to keep Koskov from escaping. Bond notices more details, and disobeys orders to kill her, instead shooting the rifle out of her hands, then helping get Koskov through the Trans-Siberian pipeline.
Once in England, Koskov explains that his superior, General Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies) has been turning hard-liner, wanting to undercut detente and eliminate opponents using SMERSH. Before he can settle in, Koskov is recaptured by Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) disguised as a milkman.
M (Robert Brown) wants Bond to head to Tangier, Morocco to deal with General Pushkin, but James takes a detour back to Czechoslovakia to check on Kara Milov. He is able to establish that she had blanks in her rifle, as part of Koslov's fake defection. She's being hassled by the KGB, and James is able to trick her into believing he's Koslov's friend and sent to bring her to her lover in Vienna. Exciting chase scene ensues.
Meanwhile, Pushkin visits Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker), an American arms dealer with delusions of being a great military man. Pushkin asks for the KGB's money back on an arms deal for high tech weapons, but Whitaker claims he has already spent the cash (the KGB knows otherwise). Pushkin also knows that Whitaker and Koskov are working together, and threatens the arms dealer if he can't come up with the refund.
Back in Vienna, Bond and Kara are becoming closer while Saunders and the rest of MI6 look into what 007 has discovered. They discover the connection to Whitaker, but at the cost of Saunders' life.
In Tangier, James Bond determines that he was correct and General Pushkin is not in league with General Koskov. (Not without roughing Pushkin up a bit first, of course.) They fake Pushkin's death, but Koskov uses this to trick Kara into turning against James. Bond and Kara are taken to Afghanistan for execution, but this is nowhere near the end....
This was the first Timothy Dalton Bond movie, and had a shift of focus from the Roger Moore run. Dalton's Bond was a bit harder-edged, and while the plot isn't particularly plausible, it's more "down to earth", with weapons and drug dealing rather than science fiction devices or world endangerment. Also, while it's clear that 007 is still a womanizer, he only flirts with one woman, Kara, and only consummates their relationship after the movie is over. Dalton's Bond doesn't do as many one-liners, allowing other characters and situations to provider the humor.
Krabbé and Baker do a good job as the villains, personable enough to make it plausible that they've reached their current positions, but cold-blooded enough to explain why they're the bad guys. Necros fills in as the actual combat henchman, an okay but limited role. His best bits are when dressed as a milkman. A nice touch is that Whitaker has a collection of wax figures of famous military leaders, but they look a bit off...because they all have Whitaker's face.
The theme song by A-ha! is okay, but not top ten of James Bond movie themes.
The most notable political moment in the movie is the part set in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. While the Mujahideen are the scrappy underdogs against the Russian invaders, they're not untarnished good guys. Local leader Kamran Shah (Art Malik) has to work with opium lords if he wants to continue resistance work...though he's okay with Bond blowing up the drugs after they leave the camp. Younger viewers who only remember recent Afghanistan events may want to read up on the history.
As always, excellent stunts, action sequences and special effects. Kara Milov is surprisingly more combat effective than her background would suggest. (Indeed, she does better than some Bond girls who were supposed to be combat trained.)
Content note: Murder, lots of other violence, sometimes fatal. Extramarital sex is implied, a bit of male nudity as a gag. Alcohol use, mention of opium, Bond's drugged at one point. Late teens and up should be fine.
This wouldn't be my choice as the first 007 movie for a beginner to watch, but it's still well done. Recommended to those who prefer their Bond a bit more grounded.
CRUD Challenge: Mark of the Vampire
Feb. 14th, 2025 08:43 pmMark of the Vampire (1935) dir. Tod Browning (also released as "Vampires of Prague")
Czechoslovakia, 1934, near the city of Prague. It is growing dark, but in the inn run by a local fellow (Michael Visaroff), two English travelers want to be on their way. The innkeeper warns that vampires roam these parts at night, Count Mora (Bela Lugosi) and his daughter Luna (Caroll Borland). The travelers scoff, but then the local medico, Dr. Doskil (Donald Meek), returns to his room at the inn, clearly frightened out of his wits, and bearing bat thorn, a plant said to ward off the undead.
The next morning, the servants at the castle of Sir Karell Borotyn (Holmes Herbert) are saddened to learn of the death of their master from his friend Baron Otto (Jean Hersholt). Sir Karell's corpse has neck wounds and has been drained of blood, which leads Dr. Doskil to declare that the death was due to vampire. Inspector Neumann (Lionel Atwill) is a skeptic, and not convinced that vampires are anything other than superstition. Despite Dr. Doskil's resentment at being lumped in with "ignorant peasants", his findings are discarded by the coroner's jury, which brings in a verdict of "Death by Unknown Causes."
Sir Karell's daughter Irena Borotyn (Elizabeth Allen) must postpone her marriage to Fedor Vicente (Henry Wadsworth) and moves in with Baron Otto, who has been appointed her guardian.
A year later, the mandatory mourning is over, and Irena and Fedor reunite at the village, though the castle itself has been abandoned. Soon, there is to be a wedding. But then Fedor blacks out near the castle and wakes up with neck wounds and severe anemia. Irena is attacked as well. Count Mora and Luna have supposedly been sighted in the area. Irena says she was compelled into the open by what she thought was the voice of her father. Inspector Neumann is forced to call in an expert, Professor Zelin (Lionel Barrymore). The professor assures everyone that vampires are very real, and precautions must be taken or Irena will surely be taken.
If you have never seen this movie before and haven't had it spoiled for you, go see it now. Seriously.
SPOILERS beyond this point. You have been warned!
This movie is a remake of the lost horror classic, "London After Midnight" which was also directed by Tod Browning and starred Lon Chaney Sr. Thus it has much the same twist ending. There are, in fact, no vampires. Instead, it's an elaborate hoax to catch Sir Karell's murderer who'd disguised his own deed as a vampire attack.
So now you can rewatch it as a comedy. The "Professor" is just making stuff up when he spouts vampire lore. The doctor is a gullible fool. Bela Lugosi with his deceptively high billing is basically playing himself, an actor dressed as Dracula, but fully committed to the "bit" so staying in character even when no one could possibly be watching. Some of the characters are in on the trick and acting their hearts out, while others are not in on it, and which is which isn't always clear.
I'm told that the movie was edited down from about 80 minutes to 60 for a tighter film, but this does create some lore gaps. There's an "extra" vampire that does nothing but appear in certain scenes just standing or sitting around. Presumably he had action in cut scenes.
The sets are great, and the acting works better once it's clear that you're watching a comedy. The heavy edits do make the film a bit choppy, but it's still a fun watch with a fine cast. Recommended to fans of spooky comedies.
Czechoslovakia, 1934, near the city of Prague. It is growing dark, but in the inn run by a local fellow (Michael Visaroff), two English travelers want to be on their way. The innkeeper warns that vampires roam these parts at night, Count Mora (Bela Lugosi) and his daughter Luna (Caroll Borland). The travelers scoff, but then the local medico, Dr. Doskil (Donald Meek), returns to his room at the inn, clearly frightened out of his wits, and bearing bat thorn, a plant said to ward off the undead.
The next morning, the servants at the castle of Sir Karell Borotyn (Holmes Herbert) are saddened to learn of the death of their master from his friend Baron Otto (Jean Hersholt). Sir Karell's corpse has neck wounds and has been drained of blood, which leads Dr. Doskil to declare that the death was due to vampire. Inspector Neumann (Lionel Atwill) is a skeptic, and not convinced that vampires are anything other than superstition. Despite Dr. Doskil's resentment at being lumped in with "ignorant peasants", his findings are discarded by the coroner's jury, which brings in a verdict of "Death by Unknown Causes."
Sir Karell's daughter Irena Borotyn (Elizabeth Allen) must postpone her marriage to Fedor Vicente (Henry Wadsworth) and moves in with Baron Otto, who has been appointed her guardian.
A year later, the mandatory mourning is over, and Irena and Fedor reunite at the village, though the castle itself has been abandoned. Soon, there is to be a wedding. But then Fedor blacks out near the castle and wakes up with neck wounds and severe anemia. Irena is attacked as well. Count Mora and Luna have supposedly been sighted in the area. Irena says she was compelled into the open by what she thought was the voice of her father. Inspector Neumann is forced to call in an expert, Professor Zelin (Lionel Barrymore). The professor assures everyone that vampires are very real, and precautions must be taken or Irena will surely be taken.
If you have never seen this movie before and haven't had it spoiled for you, go see it now. Seriously.
SPOILERS beyond this point. You have been warned!
This movie is a remake of the lost horror classic, "London After Midnight" which was also directed by Tod Browning and starred Lon Chaney Sr. Thus it has much the same twist ending. There are, in fact, no vampires. Instead, it's an elaborate hoax to catch Sir Karell's murderer who'd disguised his own deed as a vampire attack.
So now you can rewatch it as a comedy. The "Professor" is just making stuff up when he spouts vampire lore. The doctor is a gullible fool. Bela Lugosi with his deceptively high billing is basically playing himself, an actor dressed as Dracula, but fully committed to the "bit" so staying in character even when no one could possibly be watching. Some of the characters are in on the trick and acting their hearts out, while others are not in on it, and which is which isn't always clear.
I'm told that the movie was edited down from about 80 minutes to 60 for a tighter film, but this does create some lore gaps. There's an "extra" vampire that does nothing but appear in certain scenes just standing or sitting around. Presumably he had action in cut scenes.
The sets are great, and the acting works better once it's clear that you're watching a comedy. The heavy edits do make the film a bit choppy, but it's still a fun watch with a fine cast. Recommended to fans of spooky comedies.
CRUD Challenge: Fatal Attraction
Feb. 10th, 2025 06:48 amFatal Attraction (1987) dir. Adrian Lyne
Dan Gallegher (Michael Douglas) has a pretty comfortable life. He loves his wife Beth (Ann Archer) and daughter Ellen (Ellen Latzen) and has a well-paid job as the house lawyer for a publishing firm in New York City. Things are going so well that the family is thinking of moving to a bigger house in the suburbs. But Dan has a touch of arrogance and is about to make a very bad decision that puts everything at risk.
By chance, Dan has to stay in town one weekend for urgent work while Beth and Ellen are away visiting relatives. He meets a woman named Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) at a book launch party on Friday night. She's very attractive and flirtatious but as far as Dan is concerned, nothing comes of it. Except that the next morning, he meets her again at the urgent work meeting as she's a new hire at the publishing company that has information he needs to prepare a case. Alex turns up her sexual advances, and Dan decides that since he has the opportunity and Beth will never know, he can indulge himself in a one-night stand.
The sex is hot, if a bit clumsy, and Alex is fun to be with despite some clear abandonment issues...until Dan tries to leave to do his actual work, at which point Alex turns clingy and demands more time. Dan eventually manages to leave, thinking the affair is over. It isn't.
Alex is emotionally unbalanced, and now believes that Dan secretly loves her and they are meant to be together. She becomes a stalker, following Dan around, calling him at all hours, and even claiming that she's become pregnant with his child. (Whether the pregnancy is real is one of the few things the movie leaves vague--but Glenn Close was actually pregnant at the time.) When Dan isn't won over by these tactics, Alex escalates, and her attraction becomes fatal.
This movie did very well at the box office and got several award nominations. It's quite well directed, has good costume and set design, and is indeed pretty good as a thriller.
Dan isn't a very sympathetic protagonist. He falls easily for Alex's charms, and has no compelling excuse for cheating. While the particular consequences of this action are disproportionate, he should have known going in that he was incurring risks ranging from disease to divorce. And he makes matters more difficult for himself by not fessing up when Alex starts stalking him. On the other hand, once Alex does start stalking him, there isn't much he can do to stop her. The same police indifference that helps endanger female stalking victims works against him, and is exacerbated by sexism; as a man he should be able to handle this, right?
Alex is pretty clearly not right in the head, and the system has failed her by not getting her the help she needs long since. But her actions quickly turn from sad to horrendous, and after a certain particularly monstrous act, it's no surprise that test audiences wanted her death to be a punishment rather than part of her plan as in the first-filmed ending. Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" is a leitmotif for Alex, as she clearly identifies with the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-san. But unlike Pinkerton, Dan has never lied to Alex or pretended that he feels anything towards her than a temporary lust. He's baffled when she directly accuses him of thinking exactly what he was thinking about their one-night stand, as she delusionally has attached much more weight to the relationship than ever existed.
The sympathetic people in this movie are Beth and Ellen, who didn't do anything to bring about Dan's infidelity or Alex's wrath, and don't know why they're being endangered.
Content note: Violence, some lethal. Discussion of suicide (and actual suicide in the alternate ending.) Death of an animal. Extramarital sex (on camera, no genitals) as well as marital sex (likewise). A bit of nudity. Child in peril. Rough language, ranging from Ellen innocently repeating a naughty word she overheard to Alex using a homophobic slur in a scattershot attempt to find the worst insult she can use for Dan. This one's a pretty nasty "R" so approach with caution for younger viewers.
Some of the cultural assumptions that make up the background of the movie have changed drastically in the last four decades, while others have remained intact. Since it's well made, Fatal Attraction would make good viewing to spark discussions on cheating, casual sex and stalking. Recommended most for thriller fans.
Dan Gallegher (Michael Douglas) has a pretty comfortable life. He loves his wife Beth (Ann Archer) and daughter Ellen (Ellen Latzen) and has a well-paid job as the house lawyer for a publishing firm in New York City. Things are going so well that the family is thinking of moving to a bigger house in the suburbs. But Dan has a touch of arrogance and is about to make a very bad decision that puts everything at risk.
By chance, Dan has to stay in town one weekend for urgent work while Beth and Ellen are away visiting relatives. He meets a woman named Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) at a book launch party on Friday night. She's very attractive and flirtatious but as far as Dan is concerned, nothing comes of it. Except that the next morning, he meets her again at the urgent work meeting as she's a new hire at the publishing company that has information he needs to prepare a case. Alex turns up her sexual advances, and Dan decides that since he has the opportunity and Beth will never know, he can indulge himself in a one-night stand.
The sex is hot, if a bit clumsy, and Alex is fun to be with despite some clear abandonment issues...until Dan tries to leave to do his actual work, at which point Alex turns clingy and demands more time. Dan eventually manages to leave, thinking the affair is over. It isn't.
Alex is emotionally unbalanced, and now believes that Dan secretly loves her and they are meant to be together. She becomes a stalker, following Dan around, calling him at all hours, and even claiming that she's become pregnant with his child. (Whether the pregnancy is real is one of the few things the movie leaves vague--but Glenn Close was actually pregnant at the time.) When Dan isn't won over by these tactics, Alex escalates, and her attraction becomes fatal.
This movie did very well at the box office and got several award nominations. It's quite well directed, has good costume and set design, and is indeed pretty good as a thriller.
Dan isn't a very sympathetic protagonist. He falls easily for Alex's charms, and has no compelling excuse for cheating. While the particular consequences of this action are disproportionate, he should have known going in that he was incurring risks ranging from disease to divorce. And he makes matters more difficult for himself by not fessing up when Alex starts stalking him. On the other hand, once Alex does start stalking him, there isn't much he can do to stop her. The same police indifference that helps endanger female stalking victims works against him, and is exacerbated by sexism; as a man he should be able to handle this, right?
Alex is pretty clearly not right in the head, and the system has failed her by not getting her the help she needs long since. But her actions quickly turn from sad to horrendous, and after a certain particularly monstrous act, it's no surprise that test audiences wanted her death to be a punishment rather than part of her plan as in the first-filmed ending. Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" is a leitmotif for Alex, as she clearly identifies with the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-san. But unlike Pinkerton, Dan has never lied to Alex or pretended that he feels anything towards her than a temporary lust. He's baffled when she directly accuses him of thinking exactly what he was thinking about their one-night stand, as she delusionally has attached much more weight to the relationship than ever existed.
The sympathetic people in this movie are Beth and Ellen, who didn't do anything to bring about Dan's infidelity or Alex's wrath, and don't know why they're being endangered.
Content note: Violence, some lethal. Discussion of suicide (and actual suicide in the alternate ending.) Death of an animal. Extramarital sex (on camera, no genitals) as well as marital sex (likewise). A bit of nudity. Child in peril. Rough language, ranging from Ellen innocently repeating a naughty word she overheard to Alex using a homophobic slur in a scattershot attempt to find the worst insult she can use for Dan. This one's a pretty nasty "R" so approach with caution for younger viewers.
Some of the cultural assumptions that make up the background of the movie have changed drastically in the last four decades, while others have remained intact. Since it's well made, Fatal Attraction would make good viewing to spark discussions on cheating, casual sex and stalking. Recommended most for thriller fans.
CRUD Challenge: Broadway Limited
Feb. 2nd, 2025 08:06 amBroadway Limited (1941) dir. Gordon Douglas
Our story opens in Chicago, where Hollywood director Ivan Ivansky (Leonid Kinskey), his top star April Tremaine (Marjorie Woodworth) and personal assistant Patsy Riley (Patsy Kelly) are promoting their most recent movie. It's going swell, but Ivansky is already planning his next movie, which will have a slightly different emphasis. Rather than rely solely on Miss Tremaine's "oomph", this one will be about motherly love. And to promote this idea, he wants to do a publicity stunt where April takes care of a baby on her trip to New York.
Problem! The train leaves in three hours. Where are they going to get a baby by then? Patsy has an idea. As it just so happens, her boyfriend works for the Pennsylvania Railroad as an engineer. And he's going to be the engineer on the Broadway Limited, the train they're planning to take! Maurice "Mike" Monahan (Victor McLaglen) is contacted and he doesn't know how to get hold of a baby either, but a stranger overhears that there's a $500 fee, and says he can get hold of an infant for the trip.
Sure enough, the baby is delivered right on time, and no one asks questions. The Hollywood people are joined on the train by ditzy columnist Myra Pottle (Zazu Pitts), who's writing up the publicity stunt. Things get a bit more complicated when one of the other passengers turns out to be Dr. Harvey North (Dennis O'Keefe), April's childhood sweetheart. It turns out the two still have a flame for each other, much to the jealousy of Ivan.
In Fort Wayne, Mike starts his vacation, switching from engineer to passenger on the Broadway Limited so that he can spend some time with his sweetie Patsy. He's not used to wearing a suit and mixing with passengers, which creates a bit of comedy, and Myra's antics make it hard for him to connect with Patsy. While waiting for her in the observation car, Mike learns from a police detective that a baby was kidnapped in Chicago, and the description sounds an awful lot like the baby he'd helped get on the train. The detective helpfully notes that the last such case he was involved with, the kidnapper was hanged, and the accomplice got 177 years in jail.
So begins a desperate mission to alert Patsy of the hot baby, and thence attempts to hide or get rid of the child so they won't all go to jail.
The Broadway Limited was a real train route from Chicago to Manhattan, and is still in operation today in a revised form. Everything else is fictional.
This screwball comedy uses the train setting pretty well, with tight corridors, odd passengers (a creepy little boy is a recurring red herring), and the inability to get off while it's moving or hide effectively for long. Otherwise it's pretty slight, and the humor is only middling. Myra's fixation on "Renfrew of the Mounted" makes her look more pathetic than funny.
The movie is short, about 75 minutes, which is a good length for this kind of thing, and doesn't drag. It's perfectly acceptable light entertainment, but will be of most interest to railfans who can geek out over the details of rail travel in the 1940s. (There's a particularly good bit where Mike gets a stuck locomotive going.)
Our story opens in Chicago, where Hollywood director Ivan Ivansky (Leonid Kinskey), his top star April Tremaine (Marjorie Woodworth) and personal assistant Patsy Riley (Patsy Kelly) are promoting their most recent movie. It's going swell, but Ivansky is already planning his next movie, which will have a slightly different emphasis. Rather than rely solely on Miss Tremaine's "oomph", this one will be about motherly love. And to promote this idea, he wants to do a publicity stunt where April takes care of a baby on her trip to New York.
Problem! The train leaves in three hours. Where are they going to get a baby by then? Patsy has an idea. As it just so happens, her boyfriend works for the Pennsylvania Railroad as an engineer. And he's going to be the engineer on the Broadway Limited, the train they're planning to take! Maurice "Mike" Monahan (Victor McLaglen) is contacted and he doesn't know how to get hold of a baby either, but a stranger overhears that there's a $500 fee, and says he can get hold of an infant for the trip.
Sure enough, the baby is delivered right on time, and no one asks questions. The Hollywood people are joined on the train by ditzy columnist Myra Pottle (Zazu Pitts), who's writing up the publicity stunt. Things get a bit more complicated when one of the other passengers turns out to be Dr. Harvey North (Dennis O'Keefe), April's childhood sweetheart. It turns out the two still have a flame for each other, much to the jealousy of Ivan.
In Fort Wayne, Mike starts his vacation, switching from engineer to passenger on the Broadway Limited so that he can spend some time with his sweetie Patsy. He's not used to wearing a suit and mixing with passengers, which creates a bit of comedy, and Myra's antics make it hard for him to connect with Patsy. While waiting for her in the observation car, Mike learns from a police detective that a baby was kidnapped in Chicago, and the description sounds an awful lot like the baby he'd helped get on the train. The detective helpfully notes that the last such case he was involved with, the kidnapper was hanged, and the accomplice got 177 years in jail.
So begins a desperate mission to alert Patsy of the hot baby, and thence attempts to hide or get rid of the child so they won't all go to jail.
The Broadway Limited was a real train route from Chicago to Manhattan, and is still in operation today in a revised form. Everything else is fictional.
This screwball comedy uses the train setting pretty well, with tight corridors, odd passengers (a creepy little boy is a recurring red herring), and the inability to get off while it's moving or hide effectively for long. Otherwise it's pretty slight, and the humor is only middling. Myra's fixation on "Renfrew of the Mounted" makes her look more pathetic than funny.
The movie is short, about 75 minutes, which is a good length for this kind of thing, and doesn't drag. It's perfectly acceptable light entertainment, but will be of most interest to railfans who can geek out over the details of rail travel in the 1940s. (There's a particularly good bit where Mike gets a stuck locomotive going.)
CRUD Challenge: Coogan's Bluff
Jan. 26th, 2025 03:12 pmCoogan's Bluff (1968) dir. Don Siegel
Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent from his native Arizona to New York City to extradite escaped felon James Ringerman (Don Stroud). He expects it to be a quick process, but Ringerman had a bad trip on LSD and is currently under observation at Bellevue. NYPD Lieutenant McElroy (Lee J. Cobb) explains a bit of the bureaucratic process in a rather dismissive fashion (he's got his own worries.) While at the police station, Coogan becomes interested in parole officer Julie Roth (Susan Clark) though they start off poorly due to his misunderstanding of how her job works.
Despite Julie warming up to him a bit, Coogan is generally unimpressed by New York City's people and culture, becoming impatient to pick up his prisoner. He bluffs (thus the title) the Bellevue staff into thinking he's got the releases needed to get Ringerman out of the hospital. But his carelessness and rush to be done results in him losing Ringerman and his gun. Despite being warned off by the New York police and taken off the case by the Arizona sheriff's office, Coogan's pride has been damaged, and he will not rest until he's personally recaptured the criminal.
This was Eastwood's first go-round as a "cowboy cop", before the much better received Dirty Harry series. It's notable here that Coogan's antics make life much more difficult for himself and everyone around him, and are ultimately a big waste of time. He could have accomplished just as much by taking Lt. McElroy's advice and waiting it out, with much less personal injury and property damage. Yes, New York City is disgusting in this late Sixties setting, with its permissiveness and criminal coddling and chiseling, not to mention the hippies. Ringerman's girlfriend Linny Raven (Tisha Sterling) is a particularly rancid example of the Love Generation gone wrong. But if he'd just held on, Coogan would have gotten what he wanted. Heck, there's even a moment where Julie suggests an activity that would have shortcut his search by Ringerman by a day by coincidence if he'd been able to turn off his pride for a moment.
At the beginning of the film, we see Coogan in his native territory, ignoring orders from his sheriff to apprehend a fugitive in his own way, then chaining the man up so he can visit a girlfriend before taking the man in. Coogan repeatedly shows a tendency to not listen to instructions or suggestions, defy protocol and violate privacy laws, and will gladly seduce women and betray them to get what he wants. (Apparently he does make some apologies offscreen at the end of the movie, since McElroy and Julie act as though he's mended fences.)
A highlight of the movie is one scene where Coogan tries to get information out of Ringerman's mother Ellen (Betty Field) only to be outmatched by her brazenness. (He did have a follow-up plan but he'd screwed up the NYPD's investigation in the process, canceling out both.) There's a nifty scene in a psychedelic nightclub, and general glimpses of New York City in the late 1960s, like the Pan Am helipad. (No scenes of the actual Coogan's Bluff, though.) Oh, and the motorcycle chase is pretty good.
Content note: Gun violence and fisticuffs, hospitalization but no deaths. Female nudity and male shirtlessness. Sexual assault. Extramarital sex. Drug abuse. Coogan breaks a lot of laws and ultimately faces no legal consequences. Older teens should be okay.
This is a lesser Eastwood film, to fill in checklists for his fans, or for fans of the cowboy cop subgenre in general.
Deputy Sheriff Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is sent from his native Arizona to New York City to extradite escaped felon James Ringerman (Don Stroud). He expects it to be a quick process, but Ringerman had a bad trip on LSD and is currently under observation at Bellevue. NYPD Lieutenant McElroy (Lee J. Cobb) explains a bit of the bureaucratic process in a rather dismissive fashion (he's got his own worries.) While at the police station, Coogan becomes interested in parole officer Julie Roth (Susan Clark) though they start off poorly due to his misunderstanding of how her job works.
Despite Julie warming up to him a bit, Coogan is generally unimpressed by New York City's people and culture, becoming impatient to pick up his prisoner. He bluffs (thus the title) the Bellevue staff into thinking he's got the releases needed to get Ringerman out of the hospital. But his carelessness and rush to be done results in him losing Ringerman and his gun. Despite being warned off by the New York police and taken off the case by the Arizona sheriff's office, Coogan's pride has been damaged, and he will not rest until he's personally recaptured the criminal.
This was Eastwood's first go-round as a "cowboy cop", before the much better received Dirty Harry series. It's notable here that Coogan's antics make life much more difficult for himself and everyone around him, and are ultimately a big waste of time. He could have accomplished just as much by taking Lt. McElroy's advice and waiting it out, with much less personal injury and property damage. Yes, New York City is disgusting in this late Sixties setting, with its permissiveness and criminal coddling and chiseling, not to mention the hippies. Ringerman's girlfriend Linny Raven (Tisha Sterling) is a particularly rancid example of the Love Generation gone wrong. But if he'd just held on, Coogan would have gotten what he wanted. Heck, there's even a moment where Julie suggests an activity that would have shortcut his search by Ringerman by a day by coincidence if he'd been able to turn off his pride for a moment.
At the beginning of the film, we see Coogan in his native territory, ignoring orders from his sheriff to apprehend a fugitive in his own way, then chaining the man up so he can visit a girlfriend before taking the man in. Coogan repeatedly shows a tendency to not listen to instructions or suggestions, defy protocol and violate privacy laws, and will gladly seduce women and betray them to get what he wants. (Apparently he does make some apologies offscreen at the end of the movie, since McElroy and Julie act as though he's mended fences.)
A highlight of the movie is one scene where Coogan tries to get information out of Ringerman's mother Ellen (Betty Field) only to be outmatched by her brazenness. (He did have a follow-up plan but he'd screwed up the NYPD's investigation in the process, canceling out both.) There's a nifty scene in a psychedelic nightclub, and general glimpses of New York City in the late 1960s, like the Pan Am helipad. (No scenes of the actual Coogan's Bluff, though.) Oh, and the motorcycle chase is pretty good.
Content note: Gun violence and fisticuffs, hospitalization but no deaths. Female nudity and male shirtlessness. Sexual assault. Extramarital sex. Drug abuse. Coogan breaks a lot of laws and ultimately faces no legal consequences. Older teens should be okay.
This is a lesser Eastwood film, to fill in checklists for his fans, or for fans of the cowboy cop subgenre in general.
CRUD Challenge: Woman on the Run (1950)
Jan. 19th, 2025 09:17 amWoman on the Run (1950) dir. Norman Foster
Frank Johnson (Ross Elliott) is out walking his dog Rembrandt (uncredited) one evening when he witnesses a gangland slaying. He gets a good look at the killer, but not vice versa as the gunman shoots at his shadow instead before driving off. When the police, led by Inspector Ferris (Robert Keith), arrive, Frank slowly realizes that if the gangsters killed one witness, they'll have no qualms about killing him. While the cops fetch his wife Eleanor Johnson (Ann Sheridan), Frank slips away.
Eleanor is a bitter woman and their marriage is on the rocks. She's initially convinced that Frank isn't so much running from the gangsters as finding a convenient excuse to run out on her. Inspector Ferris is not so sure about that, and searches the unhappy couple's apartment for clues to where Frank might run. It's notable that there are no photos of Frank, who is nondescript and hates any picture of himself. But there's lovely sketches and paintings of Eleanor as Frank is a high-strung amateur artist who is his own worst critic, which is why he refuses to sell his work or have it exhibited.
Ferris puts a watch on the Johnsons' apartment, and Eleanor escapes through the skylight. Only to discover that Dan Legget (Dennis O'Keefe), a particularly persistent reporter, has staked out that escape route. Dan promises to help Eleanor look for Frank in exchange for an exclusive interview. Eleanor ditches him as soon as she can, but he shows up again anyway and she's largely forced to allow him to join her.
This movie makes good use of the San Francisco location, not just the streetcars and Chinatown, but the overwhelming number of sailors in the city and businesses that cater to their needs. (But the murder location is in Los Angeles and the end amusement park scenes are in Santa Monica.) It gives the movie a strong sense of being in an actual place.
Over the course of the plot, Eleanor learns a lot of things she didn't know about her husband. Surprisingly, most of them are good. Neither of them had communicated properly. Between his inability to handle showing his art to the public and her demands that he finally amount to something, things had escalated to the point they were barely talking, and even then only to quarrel. But it would seem that Frank still loves Eleanor, and just maybe she still loves him back.
Which would be lovely if there weren't still gangsters out to kill Frank for what he knows.
Ann Sheridan is good as Eleanor, and Mr. O'Keefe also does a fine job. In small but crucial roles, we have Sam (Victor Sen Yung) and Suzie (Reiko Sato) a pair of Chinese nightclub dancers. Their stage makeup is kind of cringy, but once out of it, they're refreshingly non-stereotyped for the time period.
There are some nice suspenseful moments, such as when Eleanor is trapped on a roller coaster when she finally makes an important connection.
The ending is maybe a touch too glib to be a proper noir.
This movie is in the public domain, but I am told most of the copies floating around are very bad transfers. You may want to seek out the good restoration version. Recommended to black and white thriller fans.
Frank Johnson (Ross Elliott) is out walking his dog Rembrandt (uncredited) one evening when he witnesses a gangland slaying. He gets a good look at the killer, but not vice versa as the gunman shoots at his shadow instead before driving off. When the police, led by Inspector Ferris (Robert Keith), arrive, Frank slowly realizes that if the gangsters killed one witness, they'll have no qualms about killing him. While the cops fetch his wife Eleanor Johnson (Ann Sheridan), Frank slips away.
Eleanor is a bitter woman and their marriage is on the rocks. She's initially convinced that Frank isn't so much running from the gangsters as finding a convenient excuse to run out on her. Inspector Ferris is not so sure about that, and searches the unhappy couple's apartment for clues to where Frank might run. It's notable that there are no photos of Frank, who is nondescript and hates any picture of himself. But there's lovely sketches and paintings of Eleanor as Frank is a high-strung amateur artist who is his own worst critic, which is why he refuses to sell his work or have it exhibited.
Ferris puts a watch on the Johnsons' apartment, and Eleanor escapes through the skylight. Only to discover that Dan Legget (Dennis O'Keefe), a particularly persistent reporter, has staked out that escape route. Dan promises to help Eleanor look for Frank in exchange for an exclusive interview. Eleanor ditches him as soon as she can, but he shows up again anyway and she's largely forced to allow him to join her.
This movie makes good use of the San Francisco location, not just the streetcars and Chinatown, but the overwhelming number of sailors in the city and businesses that cater to their needs. (But the murder location is in Los Angeles and the end amusement park scenes are in Santa Monica.) It gives the movie a strong sense of being in an actual place.
Over the course of the plot, Eleanor learns a lot of things she didn't know about her husband. Surprisingly, most of them are good. Neither of them had communicated properly. Between his inability to handle showing his art to the public and her demands that he finally amount to something, things had escalated to the point they were barely talking, and even then only to quarrel. But it would seem that Frank still loves Eleanor, and just maybe she still loves him back.
Which would be lovely if there weren't still gangsters out to kill Frank for what he knows.
Ann Sheridan is good as Eleanor, and Mr. O'Keefe also does a fine job. In small but crucial roles, we have Sam (Victor Sen Yung) and Suzie (Reiko Sato) a pair of Chinese nightclub dancers. Their stage makeup is kind of cringy, but once out of it, they're refreshingly non-stereotyped for the time period.
There are some nice suspenseful moments, such as when Eleanor is trapped on a roller coaster when she finally makes an important connection.
The ending is maybe a touch too glib to be a proper noir.
This movie is in the public domain, but I am told most of the copies floating around are very bad transfers. You may want to seek out the good restoration version. Recommended to black and white thriller fans.
