Killer’s Kiss (1955)

A washed up boxer becomes involved with a pretty dime-a-dance girl, who’s boss has designs on. Mobster antics ensue.

Stanley Kubrick’s second feature film is a significant step up from Fear and Desire, but still has an air of amateurism. Audio problems required all dialog and sound effects to be added in post. The Killers, released the following year, would mark his first step into greatness.

Of the three leads only Frank Silvera had a significant film and TV career, with 81 screen credits. At 55 he would accidentally electrocute himself while fixing a garbage disposal. Pretty Irene Kane has only seven credits, mostly TV, but wrote several books under the name Chris Chase.

Pretty Gloria is a taxi dancer, a thing common in older movies, but may confound younger readers. During the early to mid part of the 20th century, young men would go to a dance hall, buy tickets, and use them to dance with a young woman for one song. Typically a ticket would cost ten cents and the girls would earn a nickel per dance. Careers for young women were in short supply.

Longtime fans of TCM will recognize a couple shots used in the TCM “Open All Night” montage. There’s something unpolished about the shots that worked for their purpose. I miss TCMs old aesthetic. I may soon be missing TCM altogether.

Not much to say, really. I struggled to remember details even though I saw it less than a week ago. In actuality, stuff just happens. Killer’s Kiss is interesting because it’s Kubrick and definitely better than his previous effort, but on its own it’s just ok. AMRU 3.

While the City Sleeps (1956)

Pretty women are being murdered and the new head of a newspaper (Vincent Price) uses the story to fuel a competition to select the new Editor in Chief. Dana Andrews’ Ed Mobley isn’t interested.

The three competitors are George Sanders, Thomas Mitchell, and James Craig. Sanders plays the high class charmer rather than the magnificent cad he is so adept at. Some may know Mitchell as a fantastic character actor with a knack of appearing in some great films, including Stagecoach, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), It’s a Wonderful Life, and Gone With the Wind. Craig also appeared in films. His character has an inside track on the position.

Ida Lupino is something of a free agent, offering assistance to Sanders but for her own reasons. John Drew Barrymore is our villain, more famous as John’s son and Drew’s dad, although apparently not much of one. Silent film star Mae Marsh makes an appearance. She has a ton of screen credits.

Typical of Fritz Lang, there’s a whole lot going on here. Hero Dana is dealing with his relationship with pretty Nancy while schooling the police and reporters on how to investigate a crime. The murders sometimes seem to be of secondary importance.

While the City Sleeps is a pretty good crime drama. While lacking in mystery, it’s an interesting watch from start to finish. It should be noted that not a whole lot of action seems to happen while the city is sleeping. AMRU 3.5.

Cry Terror! (1958)

Good guy Jim (James Mason) is tricked into building a detonator for an army buddy (Rod Steiger) who uses it to extort money from airlines. They need his wife to execute part of the plan so they keep Jim and child locked away to ensure her cooperation.

Buddy Paul’s gang includes the always menacing Neville Brand, the never menacing Jack Klugman, and Angie Dickinson. Familiar face William Schallert has a small role and silent film star Mae Marsh makes an appearance. She has a ton of screen credits.

Jim’s young, pretty wife (Inger Stevens) could have been the helpless damsel but instead was strong and active in the face of adversity. Also quite charming. Stevens herself could have used some of that strength. Late in filming, she and Steiger were overcome with carbon monoxide fumes. She tried to refuse oxygen, saying she wanted to die. She would take her own life twelve years later. One never knows the private battles others are fighting.

Local police are on top of the case but Paul has things pretty well figured out. Many times films like this rely on characters behaving illogically in order for the story to happen. I was pleasantly surprised when that expectation was subverted.

Cry Terror! won’t stand out at the top of the genre, but it deserves to be better remembered. It has a quality story, the characters behave logically, some pretty tense moments, and a satisfying conclusion. AMRU 3.5.

Eye of the Devil (1966)

Wealthy mansion dweller (David Niven) is called back to the family estate because the grape harvest has mysteriously failed. He tells his wife (Deborah Kerr) not to visit him there, and behaves all mysterious. She visits him here anyhow and finds people acting very mysterious. The more she tries to find out what’s going on, the more mysterious things become. So mysterious!

A tremendously troubled production, starting with the fact that Kim Novak, originally cast in Deborah Kerr’s role, fell from a horse and fractured a vertebra. Principle filming was nearly complete but she was unable to finish. They were forced to hire Kerr and reshoot nearly everything. Rumors that Novak was fired are likely false. Then the studio shelved the project for over a year, motivated by equal parts lack of faith and concerns over the subject matter.

Although she appeared uncredited in a couple films and appeared in fifteen episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies, Sharon Tate makes her official debut here. She won praise for taking on a believable English accent, or maybe she was dubbed. David Hemmings received media buzz from Blow-Out, which became a surprise hit while Eye of the Devil sat on the shelf. Donald Pleasence is a creepy priest.

Eye of the Devil leans hard into the mystery, if I didn’t make that clear enough. The progression to reveal isn’t ineffective, but it was more than a little heavy handed. The attractive sets and creative cinematography are compromised by the thin, black and white film stock giving it a low budget feel. In the end it just didn’t work for me. AMRU 2.5.

Strait-Jacket (1964)

Lucy (Joan Crawford) is sent to an insane asylum after catching her younger husband in bed with another woman. She caught them with an axe. Twenty years later, she is released and stays with her daughter (Diane Baker), who witnessed the murder as a small child. Lucy has difficulties adjusting.

Baker is quite charming as Lucy’s daughter. She would appear in the Hitchcock film Marnie the same year. A young Lee Majors plays the philandering husband in his first credited role. His role was short and got shorter. Us oldies remember him fondly as Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him, so long as we find the head. At 85, the dude is still acting. Maybe he really is bionic. George Kennedy pays a farm hand.

Two years after What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, Joan must have known she had no business being in this low budget schlocky thriller. But she had reinvented her career twice before by switching genres, so kudos to her for taking chances. Not sure it worked out all that well for her this time. She would appear in only four more feature films, ending with the amazing train wreck Trog.

And Crawford didn’t miss the opportunity to pitch product. A six-pack of Pepsi is conspicuously visible in one scene and the role of the asylum doctor went to Michael Cox, Vice President of Public Relations for Pepsi-Cola. It is his only screen credit.

Strait-Jacket is no better of a production than any other William Castle film, but lacks the playful nature of his earlier work. Crawford puts in a full effort, but the material lets her down. And if you didn’t guess the twist during the first act, you weren’t paying attention. AMRU 2.5.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Chick and Wilbur (Bud and Lou) operate a shipping company and Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) urges them not to deliver two crates. Why? Because Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster (Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange) are inside them. Spoiler alert. There’s more going on involving an evil scientist and Dracula’s plan with the monster, but really this is an excuse for the boys to clown around and act scared.

I watched and enjoyed The Abbott and Costello Show after school at some point, but if you are unfamiliar, Bud would boss Lou around and Lou would act silly and screw up. Basically a Moe/Curly relationship. I started this film a couple years ago but was put off by the mean-spirited nature of the comedy. I didn’t have that objection this time but never found myself laughing.

I remember hearing that Chaney once said that Bud and Lou made a mockery of the horror genre, but I can’t find a source for that. Times had changed, though. The self serious gothic horror of the depression simply didn't play during post-war optimism. I’m sure Chaney didn’t mind cashing the check.

This was the second and last time Lugosi would play Dracula, although he would occasionally play the character in everything but name. This would also be his last project with Universal. Glenn Strange is sometimes thought of as the Shemp of Frankenstein, having replaced the icon Boris Karloff for House of Frankenstein. At 6’5”, he best fit the physique of an imposing monster. He will forever be identified by his three performances (the NY Times used his picture in monster makeup for Karloff’s obituary) but he appeared in 266 feature films, many of them westerns.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein isn't at all scary, not particularly funny, and they don't meet Frankenstein. It's interesting mostly because of Lugosi’s performance, still at the top of his game. Perhaps I'm a little generous with a score of 3.0.

Witchfinder General (1968)

or The Conqueror Worm.

While civil war rages in England, Lawyer Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) travels around offering his services to extract confessions from people accused of witchcraft.

Hopkins is assisted by Stearne (Robert Russell) who does the tortuous dirty work while Hopkins concerns himself with securing payment and listening to the arguments of the accused back in his bedchambers, specifically the young ladies. It’s tough work.

Director Michael Reeves didn’t get along with Price, whose casting was insisted by AIP. They also changed the title in America to confuse it with the Corman/Poe films. This was Reeves third film and tragically his last. His trajectory went from poor, to middling, to pretty good. Some excellent films may have been in his future. He died of an accidental overdose at 25. And so it goes.

Very loosely based on the Historical Matthew Hopkins, this film serves as an excellent portrayal of the evil perpetrated by those convinced of their righteousness. Known for his theatrical, almost campy horror performances, Price was uncharacteristically menacing. Disturbingly so. He was, in a way, cast against type.

Witchfinder General’s use of mannered acting and dialog attempts to import a “Look, I’m a legit historical biopic” vibe when clearly it’s not. But this fair revenge story is elevated by Price’s performance and some story elements not seen in films of the time. AMRU 3.5.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

Creepy Dr. Mirakle (Bela Lugosi) has a trained ape and a nefarious plan that involves a young, pretty woman.

Very loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, it keeps many of the elements but replaces the narrative. Instead of a detective trying to solve a series of murders, it’s a boyfriend medical student trying to protect his love. And, in retrospect, I don’t think anyone figured out what Dr. Mirakle’s plan actually was, but it appeared to involve ape/lady sexy time.

Communicating who characters are and what their relationship is is a basic task of storytelling. This was not expertly accomplished here, not that it mattered much. The only purpose for any character outside of hero, villain, and damsel in distress is for them to have someone to talk to. A bigger annoyance was the complete lack of a score. Dracula had no score, so why not.

Erik the Ape was a chimp in close-ups and a man in a shabby gorilla suit in longer shots, which wasn't too convincing. I’ve noted before that early horror films were enamored with gorillas. And, like today, many of them were portrayed by old friend Charles Gemora. Also here in a “blink and you’ll miss him” role is our favorite non-Indian Iron Eyes Cody. Us old people remember him best as the Crying Indian.

Murders in the Rue Morgue contains some serious pre-code violence and themes, nineteen minutes of which were cut, which I presume are lost. It's remarkable for that and a classic Lugosi performance, but stretches of it were quite dull. Luckily it was barely an hour long. AMRU 3.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) returns with a plan to revive his departed Victoria (Caroline Munro) that involves Egypt and the River of Life. Unfortunately he discovers that his mansion was destroyed and his precious Egyptian papyrus stolen. So, he recalls faithful assistant Vulnavia and heads to Egypt. Voice-over narration retcons the first film so that this one could happen.

Did you want more Phibes? Because you got more Phibes. Lots of him. You even have his lair, replete with organ and clockwork musicians, slightly dressed up to appear like it’s inside an Egyptian tomb. And Phibes now has a nemesis but they share very little screen time. They mostly follow parallel stories that converge in the end.

Valli Kemp substitutes in for the pregnant Virginia North as Vulnavia, and if it were more than a while since you saw the first film, you might not notice. Let’s for a moment appreciate the name Vulnavia. So evocative. Caroline Munro returns as Victoria, again uncredited. She spends most of her time in a box. Peter Cushing and Terry-Thomas make cameos.

The way Phibes repeatedly says her name (and Victoria’s) was both irritating and opens the question as to the nature of their relationship. Studio in-fighting caused scenes to be deleted, which required Price to record additional dialog to explain the story (even though he wasn’t hooked up to his Victrola).

Dr. Phibes Rises Again is dragged down by the added exposition. This and the lack of someone for Phibes to directly interact with spoils the film's better moments. And the principal conflict just isn’t as compelling. It has the bones of a worthy sequel, but still a half step below. AMRU 3.

South Pacific (1958)

On an island in the South Pacific during World War II, pretty nurse Nellie (Mitzi Gaynor) falls in love with a rich French expatriate. He would be instrumental in a dangerous mission that could turn the tide of the war. I hope he agrees to help.

But this is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical so there is a whole lot more going on, not limited to tedious musical numbers. There’s sexy lieu-tellen (John Kerr, no relation) who’s not on a mission, who says he is? And my favorite maritimer Billis (Ray Walston) who wants to visit the island Bali Ha’i for, you know, women. Jersey girl Juanita Hall reprised her role from the stage as Islander Bloody Mary. Figuring she was too old to sing, they dubbed her singing voice. In fact many of the actors had their singing voices dubbed, sounding comically different than their speaking voice.

The theme here is prejudice, highlighted by the song “You've Got To Be Carefully Taught”. The film features references to two interracial relationships, quite progressive for the fifties. Unfortunately, the depiction of south pacific natives was very 1950’s. You win some, you lose some.

Silly and dated, South Pacific is a somewhat amusing romp that holds your interest, particularly if you are a fan of musicals. It was as huge a success on the screen as it was on the stage. I found it a bit tedious at times, but it was nice to learn the origin of the songs my mom used to sing when she was being silly. AMRU 3.5.

What Else I Watched, 2024Q3

Catch me If You Can (2002)
Con man (Leonardo DiCaprio) masquerades as a pilot, surgeon, lawyer, and more while the feds try to track him down. Very entertaining movie and I should have seen it sooner. The story is complete fiction, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a wonderfully fanciful tale craftily done. AMRU 4.

Past Lives (2023)
I rewatched it with friends and they were underwhelmed, to say the least. I had modest expectations when I first saw it and I apparently oversold it to them. I gave it a 4.5 last time. Might need to downgrade that a bit.

The Angels' Share (2012)
Scottish hood finds a mentor and learns to appreciate scotch. Tough watch and sometimes hard to understand even with subtitles on. Still, it's worth the effort. AMRU 3.5.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Amusing and predictable addition to the franchise with somehow even more fan service than the previous. I appreciate the Bill Murray cameo and small roles by Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson, but bringing back Walter Peck and even the library administrator was a bit much. The film focuses primarily on Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) which is a good decision. Including Podcast and Lucky felt unnecessary. Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani appear because they must appear in every nerd franchise on earth. Silly, amusing, and loaded with plot holes. AMRU 3.

Gilda (1946)
Holds up to a second viewing but doesn’t rise to the top of the genre. Interesting story but the characters are unlikable. That’s not necessarily a flaw, but I think we should at least like Rita’s Gilda. The ending is surprisingly abrupt and, man, talk about a red flag relationship.

Film: The Living Record of our Memory (2021)
Long and rambling documentary about film preservation and restoration. For the uninitiated, film degrades over time, particularly if it isn’t stored in ideal conditions. Also, most early films were lost because they weren’t valued after they had their run. What could have been done in 90 minutes was stretched to two hours. Glad I watched, but had to split it up over a couple sessions.

Wild Mountain Tyme (2022)
Irish farmer (Christopher Walken) doesn’t want his son to inherit the family farm because he isn’t married. Son (Jamie Dornan) likes his longtime neighbor (Emily Blunt), but is too damaged to ask her. Based on a stage play and the pretentious dialog sounds it, which contrasts with the beautiful photography. There are several “what the hell are they talking about?” moments, and Walken’s Irish accent borders on a hate crime. Weird and somewhat interesting, but I can't recommend it. AMRU 2.5.

I managed seven "off-brand" films this quarter, but I am finding it hard to find time to watch anything. We'll see how Q4 goes.

The Cyclops (1957)

A young woman (Gloria Talbott) hires a crew to sneak her into the mountainous forbidden zone in Mexico to search for her fiance who crashed there several years ago. Soon we learn that each crew member has their own reasons for going on the trip.

Writer/Director/Producer Bert I. Gordon made a bunch of films in the second half of the 1950s usually depicting creatures of unusual size. Here our heroes discover huge creatures and later a giant deformed man. I wonder …

Lon Chaney Jr. was squarely in the “take any job” segment of his career. Five years earlier he impressed in a small role in High Noon (1952) but would never repeat that success. Pretty Gloria Talbott had a long career in low budget genre pictures, starting when she was just four years old. Years ago I saw her interviewed for the underwhelming 100 Years of Horror (1996) and it was clear time was not good to her. She passed a couple years later at the age of 69.

Considering the humble budget, the effects for Cyclops aren’t that bad. Occasionally the monster would be transparent, but otherwise effective. Mr. BIG would again explore the giant man trope later the same year with The Amazing Colossal Man, which got a sequel the following. Oddly, the only cast member in common between the three films is Duncan 'Dean' Parkin, who played today’s Cyclops and Colonel Manning from the Colossal Man sequel.

The Cyclops almost feels like a proof of concept for Gordon’s later Giant movies. It’s the shortest of the three and while not without good story elements, the conclusion feels a little rushed. But it holds your interest and doesn’t overstay its welcome. AMRU 3.

Spellbound (1945)

The surprisingly young psychologist (Gregory Peck) arrives to be the new director of a sanitarium, but his troubling behavior leads to suspicion that he is not who he says he is. Will love bloom?

Ingrid Bergman plays the psychologist with the heart of gold and Leo G. Carroll is the kindly outgoing Dr. Murchison. Also here is old friend Norman Lloyd as an inmate and Wallace Ford (Freaks) as a creep in a hotel lobby. There are a few interesting background characters that could have had more screen time, something screenwriter Ben Hecht was adept at creating.

The psychobabble, and there is a lot of it, doesn’t distract much from the story. Peck’s Ballantyne is in serious trouble and on the run, and Bergman’s Dr. Petersen believes in him despite having no reason to. Grant’s understated performance, while disappointing Hitch, was eerily appropriate for the amnesiac.

Spellbound takes some unexpected turns and features a pretty trippy dream sequence. This is classic Hitchcock. Maybe not a top five Hitch, but definitely top ten. AMRU 4.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Retiring Captain Brittles (John Wayne) goes on one last patrol, this time to evacuate the women-folk. Oh, and one of them wears a yellow ribbon. It’s unimportant.

The ribbon signifies that the woman (Joanne Dru) is officially going steady. Between two young officers, she chooses the rich pretty-boy over the one with a promising military career ahead of him. I struggled to follow this sub plot and I needn't. It was very uninteresting.

A young John Agar appears as Brittles right hand. He was married to Shirley Temple at this time. Also here is Harry Carey Jr, not to be confused with Harry Caray. And also is Ben Johnson whom we recently saw in Shane.

The 41 year old Wayne was surprisingly believable as the 60 year old captain, impressing long time collaborator John Ford, who said he "didn't know the big son of a bitch could act!" I haven’t seen too many of Wayne from his young and fit years and he didn’t much resemble himself from his El Dorado years, which is a good thing.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon has a few strange elements, like Wayne getting a man thrown in the brig for some reason. Also, there is the element of Wayne trying to avoid hostilities with the natives rather than the more familiar narrative. Pointless love triangle aside, the major theme explores a man dealing with his obsolescence. Who is he if not the gruff captain the others look to for leadership. This is a theme I can relate to. AMRU 3.5.

Scarlet Street (1945)

Humdrum bank employee Chris (Edward G. Robinson) comes to the aid of a woman (Joan Bennett), and they strike up a friendship. Under the mistaken belief that he is a famous and fabulously wealthy artist, she and her abusive boyfriend (Dan Duryea) plot to scam him.

On today’s internet this would be called a romance scam, but back then the scammer was required to interact with the victim in real time. Oh, and actually be a pretty woman. Fritz Lang directed the 1944 noir The Woman in the Window also staring Robinson, Bennett, and Duryea, and featured a very similar plot (“A reserved professor meets a model and gets mixed up in murder.”)

I thought I had seen Joan Bennett before (outside of Suspiria, that is) but it was her sister Constance that appeared in What Price Hollywood? and Topper. There was also a sister Barbara who appeared in only five films and lived a troubled life. I shan’t go into detail.

Dan Duryea seems to always play the same character. A joyously hateful scoundrel. Here is no different. Robinson plays the hapless victim to perfection, led down the path like a lamb to the slaughter. But Robinson was capable of adding depth and complexity to the otherwise two-dimensional role. A subtle glance can express wonders.

The Big Heat is the standard bearer of later career Lang but Scarlet Street is a close second. Nothing compares to Lang's early work, but these latter films can be quite surprising. It's a solid story and Robinson's performance is fantastic. AMRU 4.

The Producers (1967)

Broadway has-been (Zero Mostel) realizes that if he sells more than 100% of the shares in a musical, and it fails catastrophically, investors won’t be looking for their money, and he can keep everything. So, he gets the wrong play, and hires the wrong director and actors. What could possibly go right?

The Producers features many exceptional, over the top comedic performances. Specifically Kenneth Mars as the Nazi playwright (I outrank you!), Dick Shawn as the on-stage Hitler, and of course Gene Wilder and Zero. But don’t forget about the secondary characters from the elderly, love-struck investors to the go-go dancing secretary.

The movie rose from relative obscurity when it was adapted into an actual Broadway musical then remade as a film. This is how Mel managed to earn an EGOT, which is pretty good for a man who can’t read music. I have not seen the latter film.

The movie’s many hilarious scenes are facilitated by the brilliant, almost plausible premise. The very broad, and very dated humor may be off putting for some, but for me The Producers is a delightful romp. Mel Brooks is a national treasure and I loved every minute of this film. AMRU 4.5.

“Hitler, there was a painter. He could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon! Two coats!”

The Woman in White (1948)

A painter (Gig Young) is hired to give art lessons to a young woman (Eleanor Parker). On his way to their country estate he meets a mysterious woman in white. He soon learns that this family has many secrets.

John Abbott plays Frederick Fairlie, the Roderick Usher-adjacent head of the household, but it’s Count Bosco (Sidney Greenstreet) that runs things. Anita Sharp-Bolster appears as, I suppose, a housekeeper. I’ve seen her in quite a few films but I don’t ever remember her.

Gig Young stole his screen name from his character in The Gay Sisters. He seems familiar to me, particularly his IMDb photo. I saw him in the forgettable Desk Set, but I feel I recognize him in his later days, but I am wholly unfamiliar with the last decade of his career. Maybe he resembles John Forsyth, who, because of his drinking, replaced him in Charlie’s Angels. In fact he had to be replaced as The Waco Kid in Blazing Saddles because his DTs were so bad. Three weeks after marrying his fifth wife, thirty three years his junior, he killed her then himself.

Based on Wilkie Collins’ book of the same name, it has been remade for film and television many times. His later book The Moonstone is considered the first modern detective/mystery novel. That story too has been adapted several times.

The Woman in White falls in the drama/mystery genre, but dips its toe into romance and supernatural themes. As hinted it does have Fall of the House of Usher vibes, but it stands on its own as a fine Victorian mystery. Perhaps not super memorable, but worth watching. AMRU 3.

The Queen of Spades (1949)

Herman (Anton Walbrook), a 19th century Russian army captain, has ambitions of greatness. He discovers that an elderly countess had sold her soul to learn the secret to win at card games, so he plots to learn her secret.

Recommended by a youtube channel, I found it streaming and gave it a watch. He liked it better than me. Walbrook’s performance was great, but the slow burn made it something of an endurance test.

Pretty Yvonne Mitchell plays a would-be love interest. She had a fairly successful career in film. Married to film critic Derek Monsey, they would divorce, then remarry in 1978 only for him to die the following year. One month later, Yvonne herself would die of cancer. And so it goes. The elderly countess would outlive both her and Walbrook.

A bit slow as I mentioned, but The Queen of Spades has great atmosphere and cinematography, excellent performances, features some unique storytelling, and they totally stick the landing. It’s not for everyone, and I don’t think I would rush to rewatch it, but I am glad I saw it. AMRU 3.5.

Mr. Lucky (1943)

Gambler Joe (Cary Grant) needs to raise cash to finance a gambling cruise, so he plots to scam a war relief charity into running a fundraising casino. Will love bloom?

If you like the smart aleck Grant ala His Girl Friday, well here he is. That’s not to say that the films are equal. Girl Friday is a far better film, all around. But his charming scoundrel is present. Laraine Day, fifteen years Cary’s junior, is the charity worker wise to his intentions.

Not too much to say about this one. Typical wartime Hollywood patriotism, as one would expect. Amusing and perfectly watchable film. AMRU 3.5. Wow, I’ve gotten behind on my postings. I still have three films in the chamber.

House of Usher (1960)

A young man (Mark Damon) visits his fiancee (Myrna Fahey) at her family estate only to discover that he is in an Edgar Allan Poe story.

This is the first of eight Poe stories that Roger Corman made over six years. They were his first color films, all starring Vincent Price, and considered to be among his best.

If I ever read The Fall of the House of Usher, it was a very long time ago, so I can’t speak to the movie’s faithfulness. This follows the expected story line. Roderick’s sensitivity to sound and light, the family curse, the premature burial, the literal and figurative fall of the house. I believe the biggest change was the addition of the love interest. I covered a 1949 version here nine years ago but have no memory of it. There’s a 1928 silent version but I can’t seem to find it.

Price always delivers, even with poor material. And to be fair, this material isn’t poor. Sci-Fi legend Richard Matheson adapted the screenplay. My biggest complaint is with Roderick’s constant exclaiming “Don’t you understand!” when nothing was even remotely explained. But I am sure this is a fault of the source material. Some things make more sense on the page than screen. AMRU 3.

Shane (1953)

An ex-gunfighter (Alan Ladd) crosses paths with a homesteading family that is being bullied by a wealthy rancher. He decides to hang around to help.

Shane leans hard into the myth of the old west, while getting a surprising amount right. Conflict between ranchers and farmers was a real thing. Despite the vastness of the landscape, resources (grazing pastures and water in particular) were scarce. Gone is the quaint and clean old west town. Life was harsh. The trope of the good gunfighter against the evil gunslinger, however, is readily apparent. The “Man’s gotta do” philosophy is a prevalent theme.

Jean Arthur came out of retirement as a favor to friend director George Stevens to play the homesteader’s trusty wife. The unspoken sexual tension between her and Ladd’s Shane was palpable. It was borderline scandalous, this being a very kid friendly picture. Eliza Cook Jr. is a pint-sized blow-hard and Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton) is his wife. Jack Palance is wonderfully evil as the gunslinger.

Ten year old Brandon De Wilde played Joey, the boy that idolizes Shane. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Brandon embarked on a productive, if not stellar Hollywood career, also appearing in Hud. That career, however, was tragically cut short when he crashed his camper van on his way to visit his wife in the hospital. He was just thirty.

Shane was an iconic novel and is also an iconic film. The tension felt by the characters contrasts greatly from the optimistic and somewhat comedic tone of the John Wayne western. Something of a slow burn, it is a well paced and a very well made film. AMRU 4.

“A man has to be what he is, Joey. Can't break the mould. I tried it and it didn't work for me.”

The Last of Sheila (1973)

Rich Clinton Greene (James Coburn) hosts a party on his yacht one year after his wife was killed by a mystery driver. His friends, each with their own reason to curry favor with arrogant Greene, tolerate his game's dark nature. Then things become really dark.

With A list actors working long hours on an overcrowded boat, production became understandably troubled. Raquel Welch’s behavior was called out by James Mason who called her “the most selfish, ill-mannered, inconsiderate actress that I have ever had the displeasure of working with”. Bad weather and a terrorist bomb threat didn’t help matters.

Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim used to host murder mystery parties for their Hollywood friends and it was suggested they write a script. Many of the characters are based on real people, lovingly I presume. I believe Richard Benjamin is playing Perkins.

Despite the troubled production, The Last of Sheila is a clever, compelling drama and excellent mystery. It’s a smart film that will keep you guessing until the end. AMRU 4.5.

"Give me a glass of water and a couple of lesbians."

What Else I Watched, 2024Q2

A Hazard of Hearts (1987)
A landed gentleman (Christopher Plumber) loses all his money at dice, so he risks his family estate. He then loses the family estate in a game of dice, so he risks his daughter (a very young Helena Bonham Carter). Guess what. While our gambling hero goes and pops a cap, the new owner loses all of this to a Mr. Darcy-type character. Oh, and something about smugglers and what-not.

This made for TV adaptation of a trashy period romance novel just reeks of it. Story and dialog were occasionally terrible. But somehow they managed to get Plumber, Diana Rigg, and Stewart Granger involved. Mostly watchable despite itself. AMRU 2.5.

Anthropoid (2016)
Real live story about the plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich during WWII. Cillian Murphy plays a complicated world war hero. Mostly historically accurate, very slow burn, and pretty grim particularly towards the end. It was quite good, but I can’t imagine wanting to go through that again. AMRU 3.5.

A Fish called Wanda (1988)
I watched this on VHS back in 1989 and didn’t like it. My opinion may have been colored by the people I was with and the relationship I was in. It wasn't a great time for me. But over the years I have been routinely reminded that my opinion was wrong. So, thirty five years later I gave it another try. I didn’t like it.

I did find it interesting. Never laughed, but I’d seen all the gags. Perhaps again colored by memories, but it’s a pretty mean spirited comedy. AMRU 3.

12 Angry Men (1957)
Twelve jurors decide the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. Guilty or innocent, they are instructed that the decision must be unanimous. Eleven jurors are convinced of his guild, but one wants to discuss it.

Number 5 on the IMDb top 250 movies, and the only film released prior to 1966 in the top 20, 12 Angry Men is imminently watchable and rewatchable. I rated it 8 out of 10 when on first viewing eight years ago but changed that score to 9/10. And if you know how I gravitate to the middle on my ratings, that is no faint praise. 12 Angry Men is a must see.

Not much this quarter, only four films here and nine on the main list. Life had gotten in the way of my movie watching, but things should swing towards the middle in Q3. I have four films in the queue to post, and maybe I'll watch another tonight.

Umberto D. (1952)

An old man and his dog struggle in post-war Rome.

Typical of Italian neorealism, many of the actors were complete amateurs. Young Maria (young Maria) went on to appear in a fair number of Italian films, but Carlo Battisti’s only other credit is directing a documentary three years later. Also typical, there isn’t much of a story arc, more of a ‘month in the life of’. There are moments, some of which are amusing and others pretty moving. Umberto’s ultimate fate is left to the viewer to decide.

Young Maria (whose fate is also undetermined) rids ants from the kitchen wall by waiving a burning newspaper at them. It’s a simple but particular moment. In a Hollywood film this would precipitate future events, but here it’s just a moment.

I do enjoy Italian neorealism, but they sometimes don’t connect emotionally with me. Umberto D is an excellent movie and moments certainly resonated with me, but it falls short of great. AMRU 3.5.

Atlantis: The Lost Continent (1961)

Antillia, Princess of Atlants (Joyce Taylor, actress of Illinois) is lost at sea and rescued by two Greek fishermen. She is eager to return to her home where the clothes and food do not offend her, and smitten young Demetrios (Sal Ponti) agrees to help. Things don’t go all that well for him.

Some of the secondary characters were dubbed by Paul Frees, making them sound like cartoon characters. If you are unfamiliar with voice over legend Frees, he has almost four hundred credits over his forty year career. He is frequently credited as “Additional Voices” or “Narrator”, as he is here, doing the opening narration in a distinct Orson Welles voice. He was seldom the main cartoon character, but the characters the lead would interact with. He is perhaps best remembered as Boris Badenov, but I’m partial to the Burgermeister Meisterburger.

Azor, High Priest of Atlantis, is played by Edward Platt, who some may know as the Chief from Get Smart. Very different role for him here. John Dall (Rope, Gun Crazy) is principal antagonist Zaren. This would be his last film role, and would be gone within ten years. And so it goes.

With story elements reminiscent of The Island of Doctor Moreau, Atlantis is not without its charm. Unfortunately it is hampered by clumsy acting, a terrible script, and gawd-awful fight sequences. Director/Producer George Pal just came off a big hit with The Time Machine and thus was given a tiny budget to recreate an entire continent. The sets reminded me of ST:TOS. Clips from better movies were added to punch up the drama. AMRU 2.5.

The Wasp Woman (1959)

Frumpy Janice (pretty Susan Cabot), founder of a now floundering cosmetics company, learns that her company’s troubles are caused by the fact she is older now, and thus an uggo. As luck would have it, she is contacted by an eccentric man who claims he can reverse aging using a wasp royal jelly serum. What could possibly go wrong? Consider the film’s title.

Legendary director/producer Roger Corman recently passed and I was never a fan. I've watched ten of the 46 feature films he directed and I rated none particularly high. Over the years I’ve seldom resisted the urge to cast shade his way. While I never cared for his esthetic, I must acknowledge his importance to independent cinema. The Corman Film School trained and mentored an impressive number of people. His legacy includes the names James Cameron, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola, and Joe Dante along with almost 500 producer credits.

Pretty Susan Cabot had a fair career in B movies, many with Corman. This would be her last. Later she had an affair with King Hussein of Jordan, producing a son who suffered from dwarfism. Hussein would leave her when he learned of her Jewish heritage. She would slowly become mentally unstable, possibly because she was taking her son’s growth hormones. He would bludgeon her to death in her sleep. She was 59. And you thought Susan Peter’s story was grim. 

The Wasp Woman suffers from its budget. Cabot was laughable in her wasp costume, and the action scenes were poorly shot. But there is some amusing dialog and the depiction of the pressure on a woman in charge to keep up appearances might even be a little progressive for the time. At barely an hour long, brevity is its virtue, but it earns another meh 3.0 score.

Random Harvest (1942)

A soldier (Ronald Colman) suffering from amnesia wanders away from an asylum just as Armistice is declared. On the verge of being discovered, he is assisted by a stage actress (Greer Garson) who for some reason takes a shine to him. Love blooms, but there are complications.

Neither Garson nor Colman had particularly long careers and I had only seen one film each. But they have been in some pretty noteworthy films, a couple on my watch list. Una O’Connor makes an appearance. This is the seventh film we’ve seen her in. Reginald Owen (A Christmas Carol) and Alan Napier (Batman) have brief appearances.

Pretty Susan Peters has a problematic role and I won’t go into detail. She had a sad, short life. Already a screen veteran, twenty year old Peters was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar. Three years later a hunting accident would put her into a wheelchair and end her Hollywood career. One comeback was attempted but she would shortly pass, a victim of pneumonia, depression, and anorexia. She was 31.

I don’t believe this film would have been on my radar had it not been for a young woman on YouTube, who absolutely loves it. A pure romantic film and unapologetically sentimental, Random Harvest is squarely outside of my cinematic wheelhouse. And were I to pick nits, there are some story issues. Let's just say in a world that even vaguely resemble our real one, things would not play out anything like this.

Still, Random Harvest a well written, very well acted, and beautifully shot film. Call it fluff, but it’s expertly crafted fluff. AMRU 4.

The Broadway Melody (1929)

The Mahoney Sisters, Harriet and Queenie (Bessie Love and Anita Page), move to New York to take their chances on old Broadway. Love will bloom.

We are introduced to the sisters while they move into their new apartment and get partially undressed. Harriet, oddly called Hank, gushes to sister Queenie about how beautiful she is and how much she loves her, punctuating with kissing her square on the lips. I’m not sure what the filmmakers were trying to communicate outside of standard pre-code titillation.

This seems to be the spiritual godmother of the “young women trying to make it big on Broadway” trope that was so popular in the 1930’s. This prototype isn’t as interesting as some that came later. The musical numbers are a bit tedious and the melodrama is laid on a bit thick, but it does have one thing: a Best Picture Oscar.

Young Queenie succumbs to the advances of Jacques Warriner (totally not Jack Warner) to the dismay of big sis Hank, who knows he is only interested in one thing. More interesting is that Anita Page revealed much later in life that she left Hollywood because she refused sexual advances from studio big-wigs Irving Thalberg and Louie Mayer. Life imitates art?

Broadway Melody was a huge success and spawned three sequels, not to mention inspiring Warriner Brothers' five ‘Gold Diggers’ films. (Yes, I know the Gold Diggers films were actually a remake of a silent film, but I'm building a narrative here!) And despite this being the Best Picture progenitor of the genre, it stands as the lowest rated of the lot. Tedious and melodramatic at times, but despite its flaws, it's amusing enough. AMRU 2.5.

El Dorado (1966)

Bad guy Bart (Ed Asner) tries to hire gunfighter Cole (John Wayne) to assist in stealing the MacDonald clan’s water, but Cole decides to take sides with his good buddy J.P. (Robert Mitchum), the drunken sheriff of El Dorado. After arresting Black Bart, our heroes hold up in the town jail while Bart’s gang threatens to make trouble.

El Dorado bears more than a passing familiarity with Rio Bravo, both directed by Howard Hawks. He denied this was a remake, and the inciting incidents differ, but the situation is identical and there is a one to one correlation between the principal characters of the two films.

Lou Grant playing the heavy was quite strange, but the role suited him. A young James Caan played the Ricky Nelson character. Arthur Hunnicutt (playing the Walter Brennan character) was actually three years younger than Wayne. Love interest Charlene Holt was slightly closer to Wayne’s age than Angie Dickinson. Wayne was uncomfortable about the age gap in the earlier film.

The internal logic of traditional westerns can be pretty bonkers, this being a prime example. Bart is taken into custody because he is responsible for a non-lethal shooting, but the many other killings go completely unremarked. Our heroes must hide in the jail because it is too dangerous for them to venture out, even for food, until the story requires it. The grizzled Indian fighter uses a crossbow for stealth, but carries a bugle to announce the attack. And Cole uses his guns like Homer Simpson in that one episode.

El Dorado isn’t a terribly original film, and it doesn't help that it closely resembles a much better film. And it was something of a throwback at the time. Remember, this was contemporary to the Dollars trilogy. But that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable. It was box office success. Hawks and Wayne deliver, Chinese impression, aside. AMRU 3.5.

The Age of Consent (1932)

Serious youth Michael is frustrated by the flighty behavior of his best girl Betty, who appears to be receptive to the advances of the campus alpha-douche. Events have Michael in the arms, and other places, of young waitress Dora. Come morning they are discovered, and Paw goes for the preacher and shotgun.

Memorable for the amusing dialog lampooning promiscuous college attitudes Michael’s traditional values are in stark contrast to his college peer’s but with dad’s downright Victorian views. Michael knows he must do what’s right even if it dashes all of his life’s plans.

There are themes here, but don't go thinking this is a deep film. On the topic of promiscuity, I believe it is suggesting a "moderation in all things" approach. I don't believe a deeper investigation is warranted. Future pin-up girl Betty Grable has a blink-and-you'll-miss-her scene. I had blinked.

Age of Consent is a pretty clumsy early talkie, partially redeemed by the risque theme (Dora, the sexual aggressor, is a minor) and the somewhat amusing dialog:

“You know, you'd be much nicer if you'd loosen your morals.”
“I would be much more comfortable if you would loosen your grip.”

And at 63 minutes, it also has the virtue of brevity. But this gets us only so far. It's fairly dull film. AMRU 2.5.

Downhill (1927)

After taking the blame for an indiscretion he was innocent of, young Roddy’s (Ivor Novello) life heads in some sort of negative slope analogy.

Produced directly after the success of The Lodger, Alfred Hitchcock returned to his star, Ivor Novello. Unfortunately, Downhill wasn’t nearly as successful, and it shouldn’t come as surprise. All the mystery and intrigue of the previous film was replaced with “bad stuff happens to good guy”. No mystery, no suspense.

Metadata on IMDb implies gay coding with the Roddy character, but I don't see it. Novello himself was openly gay, but I sense this is commentary on Roddy not responding to Mabel's advances. I don't see that interpretation anywhere else.

Novello is an interesting character. A bona fide matinee idol at the time, the 35ish Novello believably played a high school boy. Ah, what acting talent, pancake makeup, and grainy film stock can do. He co-wrote the play on which the film is based, along with many other plays and songs. His film career would be fairly brief, but would continue to write. The Ivor Novello Awards are still presented for songwriting and composing.

Hitch wasn’t quite Hitch, not just yet. He played with elements of visual style uncommon of the day (some of which he would later criticize) but the film is a bit of a snoozer. Not a painful watch, but not a very compelling one either. AMRU 2.5.