Cleopatra (1934)

Beleaguered by Rome, Queen Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert) shores up power by seducing Cesar (Warren William). When his reign is cut short (spoiler alert!), she pivots to Marc Antony (Henry Wilcoxon). Things don’t go well for him either.

Director Cecil B. DeMille wanted to produce a version of Cleopatra for the common man, and by all accounts he succeeded. Loads of pre-code sex, corny and awkward dialog, Busby Berkeley-esque cinematography, it was quite the spectacle. Impressively one of three Colbert films nominated for Best Picture, but they did nominate twelve that year. She would strike pay dirt with It Happened One Night.

In preparation for the production, DeMille screened the 1917 version. Three and a half years later, that print was destroyed, making this the oldest surviving version of the story. To flaunt the Motion Picture Production Code, he included as much sex as he could get away with, including an opening featuring a slave girl who appears to be naked to those inclined to believe she is.

C. Aubrey Smith crafted a career playing the “elderly Englishman”. He managed to appear in 110 films, including some pretty good ones, despite being past fifty when his career began. Here he was an elderly General. Antony’s Wilcoxon would later achieve immortality as the Bishop in Caddyshack. Well, maybe immortality isn’t the right word.

Cleopatra is an interesting, if peculiar watch. The dialog is, by design, jarringly informal. The Oscar-winning cinematography is still impactful, but limited by the format of the day. Look for the impressive crane long take. AMRU 3.

“What? Have you heard of Cleopatra?
Of course. All kinds of things. Is she black?”

Maisie (1939)

Aspiring showgirl Maisie Ravier (Ann Sothern) arrives in a small Wyoming town to learn that the show is canceled. Stranded with no money, the plucky Maisie finagles her way into a maid job on a dude ranch run by a grumpy cowboy (Robert Young). Will love bloom?

I’ve touched on these movie series in the past but if unfamiliar, in the days before television Hollywood made many series of fairly short, low budget films. Sherlock Holmes, Boston Blackie, Philo Vance, Andy Hardy, The Falcon, and also Maisie. Each episode would be released once, sometimes twice a year, world war permitting.

I thought this series was also in the mystery/detective genre but that wasn’t true for this first one. It is more in the romantic-ish/comedy-ish/drama-ish realm. Initially designed as a vehicle for Jean Harlow, but she became unavailable when she died. They found another pretty-ish sassy blonde with somewhat less sex appeal in Ann Sothern. It was successful enough to produce another nine more over the next eight years.

TV fans might remember Robert Young as the father from Father Knows Best and the doctor from Dr. Marcus Welby, M.D., but he had a minor film career in the 1930’s and 40’s. Ruth Hussey has a secondary role here. I always felt she had the looks and talent to be an A actress but it never happened for her.

Except for Holmes, I haven’t found these B picture series interesting enough to continue watching, and Maisie follows the trend. Sothern’s Maisie wasn’t very likable and the story was nothing special. And as most of the rest are rated lower, I think we should stop here. Not western enough to be a western, funny enough to be a comedy, or interesting enough to be rewatched. AMRU 3. Maybe that’s a little generous.

The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)

Edmond Dantes (Robert Donat) is framed for conspiring against the King and imprisoned for twenty years. With the help of another prisoner, he tunnels to freedom, finds buried treasure, and plots his revenge.

At first glance I didn’t recognize any credited names, not even the studio (Reliance Pictures). But on closer inspection I realized that Donat was the lead in The 39 Steps. Also principal villain Louis Calhern’s name should have been more familiar to me, having appeared in some big films, everything from Notorious to Duck Soup. He was once married to Lovey Howell.

Nineteenth century pulp adventure stories aren’t exactly my thing but I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the story. I had difficulty at first keeping the characters straight, but soon the story focused on the few that matter. While not compelling, the story was interesting enough and well paced. Some of the scenes, particularly the underwater and ocean voyage scenes, were impressive considering the era. I am a little surprised the Academy didn’t nominate it for anything. AMRU 3.

The Window (1949)

Tommy (Bobby Driscoll, by special arrangement with Walt Disney) sleeps on the fire escape to escape the summer heat, where he witnesses a murder. His parents don’t believe him because he’s a kid, and also because he’s a big fat liar. Well, normally. Things escalate when his murderous neighbors catch wind that he may know something.

Filmed in 1947 and shelved because it was “not worth releasing”, it became a sleeper hit in 1949. RKO had been purchased by a man who knew nothing about business. What was his name again? Oh, yea, Howard Hughes. The Window stretches the Noir definition a bit, with a few of the standard elements missing. Most notably the hard-boiled protagonist is played by an imaginative ten year old. Let’s talk about little Bobby Driscoll, shall we?

A talented child actor, he was awarded the outstanding juvenile Oscar for 1949. Similar acclaim came for his roles in Song of the South, Treasure Island, and a whole host of films I’ve never seen. And he was quite good here, even if I found myself occasionally rooting for the baddies. But sadly for Bobby, tragedy struck. Did I say tragedy? I meant puberty. Puberty struck. His voice changed and his drug troubles followed him wherever he went. Washed up by 30, dead at 31.

An interesting side effect of the film is watching how ten year old kids behaved in post-war America. Not just sleeping on fire escapes but playing in abandoned buildings and being locked in their bedroom while the parents went to work. This I’m sure rang true back then but would be strange in my youth, and completely alien to kids today. Now they lock themselves in their bedrooms.

The Window is a well made, well paced film. Despite the child protagonist, it isn’t just a kids movie. I might quibble with the ending, but all in all it’s a pretty good watch. AMRU 3.5.