The Killers (1946).

Review #2041: The Killers (1946).

Cast: 

Burt Lancaster (Pete Lund/Ole "Swede" Anderson), Ava Gardner (Kitty Collins), Edmond O'Brien (Jim Reardon), Albert Dekker ("Big Jim" Colfax), Sam Levene (Lt. Sam Lubinsky), Vince Barnett (Charleston), Virginia Christine (Lilly Harmon Lubinsky), Jack Lambert ("Dum-Dum" Clarke), Charles D. Brown (Packy Robinson), Donald MacBride (R.S. Kenyon), Charles McGraw (Al), William Conrad (Max), Phil Brown (Nick Adams), and Jeff Corey ("Blinky" Franklin) Directed by Robert Siodmak (#468 - Son of Dracula, #797 - People on Sunday, and #1826 - The Suspect)

Review: 

In 1927, Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Killers" was published in literary form. Set in his home state of Illinois, it details two hitmen entering a restaurant with an owner and a cook alongside a patron named Nick Adams, which Hemingway wrote from his own experiences. The two hitmen suddenly take Adams and the cook into the kitchen to tie them up while telling the owner that they were hired to kill a prizefighter expected to enter the place soon. Of course, when the guy doesn't show up, the hitmen leave while Nick is sent to a boarding house to warn the man about the job, but Nick is told to do nothing because it is futile for there to be attempts to save him from his fate. Hemingway later stated, "That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words." The entirety of that story is told in the first twenty minutes of the 1946 film adaptation (the killing depicted isn't in the actual story, of course). This was the fourth adaptation of a Hemingway story, following in the wake of A Farewell to Arms (1932), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), and To Have and Have Not (1944). The screenplay is credited to Anthony Veiller, although it was said in later years that Richard Brooks and John Huston contributed to the script in uncredited form. At the helm as director was Robert Siodmak, who had directed films in his native Germany and France before being driven to America by the rise of Nazism each time. He had done his fair share of genres, although most know his film noirs or B-movies that made him a "actor's director". This would work wonders for Burt Lancaster, who was making his film debut. He actually had an early interest in theatre productions and the circus from a young age, but injuries had him give up the circus. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he took up acting and made an impression on Broadway in a flash. Mark Hellinger, who produced The Killers, happened to need another unknown to make up the cast after getting Ava Gardner from doing pretty much nothing at MGM (Wayne Morris and Sonny Tufts were the initial choices in mind for the role played by Lancaster). He got a tip about Lancaster (near the age of 33 when this film was released), who had signed a contract with Hal Wallis but hadn't made anything for release until Hellinger tested him and decided to sign him on. The film was an audience hit and received four Academy Award nominations that year (directing, editing, score, and screenplay), for which it received none. In 1964, a second adaptation of the story was done in film (after being thought of as too much for television) with Don Siegel as director that had Lee Marvin, Ronald Reagan, and Angie Dickinson as stars.

The premise sure is an interesting one to setup a noir, particularly one built for 103 minutes where one of the key characters is dead right then and there. But it is the journey in the way that things are shot or lit that matters when the scenarios matter most with femme fatales, double crosses, and the good ol' setup for a bag of dough. It isn't often you get a cast filled with so many dependable actors (future or at the moment), whether as stars or not. O'Brien is the one observing all of the pieces moving across the board that has the air of inevitability that he does well with, maneuvering through the tension with good timing. Lancaster is a lean block of excellence, one who generates screen presence in a near instant that delivers well among the flashback sequences told (aside from the one of his death, which he handles pretty well to begin with) in a malleable force of nature. He will only end up in one path, but it is the choices that are made there that make it interesting to see the level of challenge it takes for anyone to try and escape their big desire. It's clear to see how his face became one to reckon such desires in further films. Gardner makes a solid femme fatale, one who has the allure required to drive tension into the heart of anyone, a devastating display of dashing duplicity. The rest of the cast follow along in worthy interest for the subject at hand, whether that involves the heavy or the key part of the crisscross of who is fixing who. The robbery sequence itself is executed quite skillfully, done with resounding timing without wasting a moment. By the time the film has maneuvered its way through all of the twists and turns that come with "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”, the final result is a lean and mean noir that shows the potential of its stars in a solid effort from Siodmak and company. The fatalistic nature of the whole affair makes for a solid entertaining ride that merited the highest praise from Hemingway, who once called it "the only good picture ever made of a story of mine." That pretty much says it all right then and there.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Verdict (1946).

Review #2037: The Verdict (1946).

Cast: 

Sydney Greenstreet (Superintendent George Grodman), Peter Lorre (Victor Emmric), Joan Lorring (Lottie Rawson), George Coulouris (Superintendent John R. Buckley), Rosalind Ivan (Mrs. Vicky Benson), Paul Cavanagh (Clive Russell), Arthur Shields (Reverend Holbrook), Morton Lowry (Arthur Kendall), and Holmes Herbert (Sir William Dawson) Directed by Don Siegel (#893 - Dirty Harry, #920 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers, #1453 - The Shootist)

Review: 

There is good reason to view as many directors as possible when it comes to distinct presences of filmmaking, and Don Siegel is a clear one. The Chicago native started in the film industry within the library of Warner Bros. before he eventually rose to the head of their montage department, which would see him come up with montages for films such as Casablanca (1942). Siegel's career as a director started on pretty good footing, as his first short films with Star in the Night (1945) and Hitler Lives (1945) each won an Academy Award (the former for what is now referred to as Best Live Action Short Film and the latter for Best Documentary Short Film). The Verdict (1946) would be the first of countless films he would direct, which could involve noirs such as Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), science fiction with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) or five films spent with Clint Eastwood such as Coogan's Bluff (1968) that would prove influential for the star-turned-director. The movie is loosely based off the 1892 novel The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill, which had previously served as the basis for two films with The Perfect Crime (1928) and The Crime Doctor (1934). Peter Milne wrote the screenplay. Believe it or not, Greenstreet and Lorre appeared in eight films together. Greenstreet had been born in Eastry, Kent, England in 1879 and had actually tried to make his calling as a tea planter before his financial failures eventually led to acting. By the turn of the 20th century, he was doing his work on the stage, which he did on a regular basis in both Britian and America until he decided, at the age, of 61, to act in films. What better way to start a film career than with a first-time director in John Huston and various others in The Maltese Falcon (1941)? In the next eight years, he would appear in over a dozen feature films, and a number of them happened to feature Lorre, who worked for Warner Bros. in the time from 1941 to 1946. This happened to be the eighth and last film with both in key roles together (technically it is nine, since they were in Hollywood Canteen (1944) together, but that was a cameo bit).

What we have here is a locked room mystery that shuffles the layers around of what you think is a mystery winding down to the climax that finds itself wrapped in paranoia. The 86-minute runtime is the right amount to make a useful first crack for Siegel to hone his talent in something that makes an involving puzzle with seasoned pros (at least for those who are familiar with early 20th century character actor presences). Within its late 19th century atmosphere is a handy feature that wraps things up in the way you might hope to see from a puzzle that isn't so much a puzzle but an inevitability. Greenstreet is effective in the lead role as a man who is seemingly possessed to prove his worth as a man no matter where those decisions may take him in brimming and deductive work. Lorre is the ideal presence to pair him with, observant in the way only he could do in macabre interest in contrast to the looming somber nature of the lead. Coulouris makes a quality contrast to Greenstreet in slimy overconfidence that lingers every step of the way with the right sense of brimming timing. So, here comes the question that arises from the start: how is a man murdered when the door was locked and the windows were closed? Well, the surprise comes from the fact that the seemingly perfect crime is more than just jealousy and blackmail but is instead all about appearances and timing that is told in succinct and convenient fashion that seems about right for a B-level production. As a whole, The Verdict (1946) is a worthy first start for Don Siegel as director with a useful pairing in Greenstreet and Lorre to back up a mostly involving effort fit for curiosity in the now.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Dressed to Kill.

Review #1681: Dressed to Kill.

Cast: 

Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Nigel Bruce (Dr. John H. Watson), Patricia Morison (Hilda Courtney/Charwoman), Edmund Breon ("Stinky" Emery), Frederick Worlock (Colonel Cavanaugh), Carl Harbord (Inspector Hopkins), Patricia Cameron (Evelyn Clifford), Holmes Herbert (Ebenezer Crabtree), Harry Cording (Hamid), Leyland Hodgson (Tour Guide), and Mary Gordon (Mrs. Hudson) Directed by Roy William Neill (#846 - Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, #873 - Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, #925 - Sherlock Holmes in Washington, #936 - Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, #1021 - The Spider Woman, #1040 - The Scarlet Claw, #1056 - The Pearl of Death, #1161 - The House of Fear, #1216 - The Woman in Green, #1262 - Pursuit to Algiers, #1620 - Terror by Night)

Review: 

It has been said that Basil Rathbone wondered aloud on the set with one vocal question: "Why am I doing this?" Dressed to Kill is the fourteenth and final installment of the Rathbone-Bruce Sherlock Holmes series. If one had to play a character for seven years that had three notable phases, one can probably see where Rathbone's quandary comes in. At least the shift from to B-movie didn't hinder the look of these movies, because even when Universal Pictures aimed them for the war-time crowd, the movies managed to retain a basic sense of enjoyable mystery. Four of the twelve Universal films had managed to fall into the public domain (with this being one of them, although searching for the others isn't too hard) because of a lack of copyright renewal, and they were even released with digital restoration and colorization (by computers). It is only in recent years that one can enjoy these movies in proper DVD/Blu-Ray releases, for which can credit the UCLA Film and Television Archive (who restored the movies from 1993 to 2001, with funding coming from UCLA, Hugh Hefner, and later Warner Bros). Prints don't always survive in great condition, so imagine having to come up with something where the best possible prints are from 16-millimeter transfers. At any rate, this movie was written by Frank Gruber and Leonard Lee, with the former writer responsible for the previous film with Terror by Night. This time around, the plot involves music boxes with printing plates put in them that are...ripe enough for murder. It basically is a cat-and-mouse game to figure out what the boxes and plates mean before one side can get all three boxes. It might seem a bit familiar to The Pearl of Death (1944), which involved a thief putting a stolen pearl into one of a select group of Napoleon busts that hired a killer to find the bust at the cost of the folks with the busts, and that movie credited the 1904 story The Adventure of the Six Napoleons as its inspiration. It also borrows an aspect used in previous movies with a femme fatale as one of the key adversaries. One can credit the fact that these movies don't become a parody of themselves and have a remarkable consistency that while not exactly better than average is at the very least one to respect with craftsmanship. 

It all helps to have a few offbeat moments. Rathbone gets to fall under danger with a whole thing about gas that seems quite silly when paired with an earlier scene about comparing notes of the music box with a friend (of course hearing that box over and over doesn't help) and Bruce gets to make duck noises...somehow there is a context to that (i.e. a girl getting beat up for a music box that cries when found by the duo). Ah but that isn't quite fair to him, because they the exact chemistry needed to make this series roll as it needs to, and one only wonders how the radio series must have felt for folks back then. Honestly this is an okay way to end the series. It lacks a a proper climax, and it seems a bit familiar, but it maintains the consistency that this series has had without being a putrid way to close out what generally worked best in those little moments (i.e. like the ones I mentioned earlier). 72 minutes isn't too much to ask with a familiar group of actors fit for a familiar style of movie. Rathbone and Bruce play their parts with what is needed in the textbook style of detectives that are definitive without looking stiffly bored in the proceedings, no matter if you've watched one or all of these before seeing this. Morison leads the group of adversaries with worthy energy that makes a capable threat to match the heroes without looking like a copy of the folks from before, able to match in diverting energy, and this works best in a scene paired with Breon, in which they share a few lines with each other that ends with a quality ambush. Worlock plays the other part of the threat just fine (this was his fifth appearance in the series) while Harbord plays things with stock calmness of a character that actually had appeared in a few of the original stories (in this series, it is Lestrade that got the attention with six appearances). At any rate, there is a general causal quality that Neill has honed without trouble. This was the penultimate film he directed (Black Angel came out just two months after this film), as he died later that year at the age of 59, having directed over a hundred movies. If you've seen one, you've nearly seen all the other films, but Dressed to Kill maintains itself to serve as the logical conclusion to a series that more often than not generated useful mystery and workable performances to make it worthy enough for those who are curious for what it managed to do in the span of seven years and fourteen films.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Terror by Night.

Review #1620: Terror by Night.

Cast: 

Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Nigel Bruce (Dr. Watson), Alan Mowbray (Major Duncan-Bleek), Dennis Hoey (Inspector Lestrade), Renee Godfrey (Vivian Vedder), Frederick Worlock (Professor Kilbane), Mary Forbes (Lady Margaret Carstairs), Skelton Knaggs (Sands), Billy Bevan (Ticket Collector), and Geoffrey Steele (The Honourable Roland Carstairs) Produced and Directed by Roy William Neill (#846 - Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, #873 - Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, #925 - Sherlock Holmes in Washington, #936 - Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, #1021 - The Spider Woman, #1040 - The Scarlet Claw, #1056 - The Pearl of Death, #1161 - The House of Fear, #1216 - The Woman in Green, and #1262 - Pursuit to Algiers)

Review: 

This was the thirteenth film to star Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, and this is the penultimate feature in the 14-film series loosely based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Honestly, one probably would need a primer on just what happened before in this series to really compare the quality of the films from 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures; the first film is likely the most interesting, while the war-themed films were certainly offbeat, ranging from sabotage ring voices to the return of Moriarty (twice) to microfilm matchbooks to Rondo Hatton to Algiers. Decrying the shift to modernizing the tales is an easy out, but it was the mindset of the producers at Universal to try and keep up with the tastes of young filmgoers (much to Rathbone and Bruce's reluctance, as pointed out by Bruce in his unpublished autobiography). Besides, it wasn't the first Holmes adaptation to turn to modern-day technology, as Sir Doyle had decried the use of telephones for his Victorian icon for the Stoll Pictures series of shorts/features (Doyle lived long enough not only to introduce The Lost World but also admire Eille Norwood as his favorite portrayal of Holmes on screen). At any rate, Rathbone and Bruce (who were good friends besides acting) were also starring in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, with Rathbone and Bruce starring in over 200 episodes before Rathbone left in 1946 (Bruce would leave the following year) that served as adaptations of the Doyle works into 30 minutes. The Neill films were generally made fast (roughly taking over three weeks to make, generally shot out-of-sequence), but they were efficient enough to keep the ball rolling for further interest while usually only running an hour. 

So here we are, back with a series that now has a train murder mystery on its hands with a group of character actors and a hour to spend in the public domain. The film was written by a new writer this time with Frank Gruber, who generally specialized in writing in detective stories and Westerns through magazines and features (he would also write the next film). If you've kept up with the series by this point, there is no good reason to stop now, and what we have is a fairly serviceable film, fair in its setup of mystery in false leads and twists without devolving into anything out of step in nonsense. One gets to see a bit of danger for the lead, a bit of comic amusement (for better or worse), and other familiar aspects and folks (such as Hoey and Worlock, regulars at this point) that prove just diverting enough to keep the tone up to the usual Neill levels. In other words, it will keep your attention for those who seek an effort from the 1940s (read: 75 years ago), with relatively standard acting and pace with its one set (and jewel) keeping focus well. At this point in time, Rathbone was clearly itching to spirit away from playing Holmes (amid the fear of typecasting), but it never seemed to interfere with his work. As is the case for the standard bearer of calm analytical disposition, he delivers a fine performance, one that makes an encounter with a would-be killer while outside seem like a walk in the park. Bruce does what is given to him in retorts for clues and/or offbeat bumbling, whether that means in interacting with passengers that range from friend to foil or in dealing with thieves (teapot or otherwise) - there may be better portrayals of Watson out there, but Bruce will stick with you regardless. Mowbray follows along with Bruce with useful presence, a fair presence to counteract the other supposed figures of suspicion without being reduced to the stature of a coat rack. Hoey makes his last appearance as Lestrade go well enough, even sharing an interesting moment of discussion with Rathbone and Bruce that keeps the film on the conventional toes. Godfrey, sporting an "accent", does okay but is overshadowed by the burrowing bluster of Worlock (who gets the better of Bruce in one amusing sequence). Others fill the detail to what is needed, whether that involves stuffiness in Forbes or conniving with Knaggs, each longtime presences in cinema. As a whole, the film makes enough sense of itself with execution in intrigue and its setting to make for a relatively useful affair in a series winding down but still packing interest in a neat one hour package. If you've done one, what's another one (or thirteen) going to hurt?

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars. 

Duel in the Sun.

Review #1369: Duel in the Sun.

Cast: 
Jennifer Jones (Pearl Chavez), Joseph Cotten (Jesse McCanles), Gregory Peck (Lewton McCanles), Lionel Barrymore (Senator Jackson McCanles), Lillian Gish (Laura Belle McCanles), Walter Huston (Jubal Crabbe, The Sinkiller), Charles Bickford (Sam Pierce), Harry Carey (Lem Smoot), Charles Dingle (Sheriff Hardy), Herbert Marshall (Scott Chavez), Sidney Blackmer (The "Lover" of Mrs. Chavez), and Butterfly McQueen (Vashti) Directed by King Vidor (#987 - Show People and #1015 - Bardelys the Magnificent)

Review:
Sometimes one can really sense the grip of a producer when it comes to how a film comes out. One such producer in terms of presence is David O. Selznick. He was the son of silent movie producer distributor Lewis J. Selznick, who had established film companies at important locations in film locations: World Film Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey and Selznick Pictures in California. At the age of 24 in 1926, the young Selznick went to Hollywood, finding his way to assistant story editor at MGM, and he moved his way around in the prevailing years from MGM to Paramount to RKO, becoming Head of Production in 1931 before going back to MGM in 1933, complete with a production unit for himself much in the same way Irving Thalberg (ill in health at the time) had. However, he desired to have his own studio for production, so he found a backlot and studio to lease out through RKO. He produced numerous films from 1936 to 1940 (distributed through different studios), such as A Star is Born (1937), Nothing Sacred (1937) and his two crowning achievements in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940), both winning Best Picture for their respective years. He dissolved the company in 1940, taking some time off from production and loaning out some of his contracted stars and directors to other studios. In 1943 and 1946, he formed Vanguard Films and Selznick Releasing Organization to return to production and distribution, respectively. He attempted hard to try and top the successes of the past he had, with mixed results, later stating that he wasted his life trying to outdo it, and he stopped his independent productions in 1948, going on to co-produce films with other makers, with his last venture being the star-crossed A Farewell to Arms (1957). When it comes to this film, Selznick spared no expense in terms of budget and turbulent production from start to finish. Some films may have an uncredited director when it comes to disagreements with a producer, but this is one that has six un-credited directors: Josef von Sternberg, William Dieterle, William Cameron Menzies, Otto Brower, Sidney Franklin, and Selznick himself, since Vidor and the producer had disagreements that led to him walking out (having three credited cinematographers and four editors helps too). Vidor was a respected filmmaker before and after this film, debuting as a director at the age of 19 in 1913 with short films before moving to features in 1919 before finding a contract with Goldwyn Pictures (later MGM) and eventual success with movies such as The Big Parade (1925) and The Crowd (1928). He directed numerous films over the prevailing decades (slowing down after the 1950s), with his last work being a documentary with The Metaphor (1980), released two years before his death in 1982 at the age of 88. Although he did not win an Academy Award on five nominations in his career, he received an Academy Honorary Award in 1979 to recognize his achievements as an innovator. This was a film based off the novel of the same name by Niven Busch, who had pitched the film to RKO for his wife Teresa Wright to star in, but Wright's pregnancy nixed that idea. One pairing that was thought of prior to production was John Wayne and Hedy Lamarr before Jones (who had risen to quick stardom and had won an Academy Award at the age of 25) was brought in, with Selznick (whose affair with Jones later led to divorce and marriage) was credited for writing the film alongside Oliver H.P. Garrett and Ben Hecht. The film cost over $5 million to make (owing to expensive Technicolor film stock, location shooting and multiple re-shoots) and $2 million to advertise (a hefty sum for the time), with the film receiving a great deal of infamy for its excess in terms of its excess in romantic content, with one derisive joke calling the film "Lust in the Dust", with the film having its troubles with the Hays Code (with one sequence involving a dance by Jones being deleted).

This is definitely the kind of film that is best at being as ridiculous as it wants, a melodrama that fits all the molds of the modern age in how relentless it is in being a soap opera with all the trimmings (despite some dated material involving race) and competent acting to make this a silly treat that exceeds the senses that surely stands out for its decade, completed with a lengthy run-time of 145 minute (at least with the overture, anyway). It certainly isn't a great Western or romance by any means, but one will get some sort of enjoyment at an attempt at making an epic, which one should guess right away from its opening narration from Orson Welles, since I guess having the main character's fate being death really needs to be told to us from the get go, which is odd since the novel apparently ended with the main character living. Jones (who would later marry Selznick in 1949) shines in gritty detail, a woundedly obsessed role that exudes passion in the ways that matter in terms of romance, although it is actually the showdown sequence at the end that is her shining moment, complete with her own stunt work in the rocks with scrapes and cuts. Cotten is quiet yet fairly effective as the most level-headed one of the group, which goes okay despite not having as much screen-time in the second half. Peck is certainly electrifying in his rough role, full of energy like a beast of burden (having arrived from stage to film in 1944 to quick stardom), one that demands your attention as the bad man you love to hate (as is the case in plenty of interesting Westerns). Barrymore shines as an old battle axe, spending most of his time commanding coarse presence without needing to get out of his wheelchair (which he primarily used due to having an unhealed broken hip and arthritis since 1938). Gish (who earned her one and only Academy Award nomination for this film) shines with honesty in a role that demands sincerity. Huston proves worthy to view in his fiery brimstone approach to trying to rid the dangers of sin. If one is desiring of a different kind of Western, one may find something fitting with a weird film like this, where its romantic gestures having a strange lasting power to them. The film, controversy be darned, managed to break just even with audiences, who were probably tempted to see it one way or the other when it came to the furor it could inspire from the powers that be with decency (for the time, at least). One notable person who found this film influential was Martin Scorsese, which he saw when he was four years old. Sure, the film doesn't quite live up to Gone with the Wind, but the undeniable truth is that both films have a lasting appeal to them, with this being one to see in Selznick's power of obsession on display, a bold piece of escapism for better or worse.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Best Years of Our Lives.

Review #1368: The Best Years of Our Lives.

Cast:
Myrna Loy (Milly Stephenson), Fredric March (Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson), Dana Andrews (Captain Fred Derry), Teresa Wright (Peggy Stephenson), Virginia Mayo (Marie Derry), Cathy O'Donnell (Wilma Cameron), Hoagy Carmichael (Uncle Butch Engle), Harold Russell (Petty Officer 2nd Class Homer Parrish), Gladys George (Hortense Derry), Roman Bohnen (Pat Derry), Ray Collins (Mr. Milton), Minna Gombell (Mrs. Parrish), and Walter Baldwin (Mr. Parrish) Directed by William Wyler (#509 - Roman Holiday, #1022 - Jezebel, and #1360 - Mrs. Miniver)

Review:
The most enduring films can be the ones that strike us in their poignancy. Emotional honesty can be the best policy, particularly when it comes to a film basked in real life, about soldiers coming home from war. One prominent person returning from the war was director William Wyler. The year that he had directed Mrs. Miniver (1942) to roaring success (although he subsequently called it an "incomplete" film that only scratched the surface about war), he had volunteered to serve in the US Army Air Forces; he shot footage that was turned into two war documentaries, and there were risks to filming footage over actual bombing missions, with Wyler losing a significant part of his hearing due to exposure to loud noise. It should prove no surprise that Wyler was the director to be for a film about veterans arriving home from war, with numerous touches done by the director to make an authentic piece of grand naturalness, such as having the actors buy their own clothing and having sets constructed at life-size level (as opposed to camera-friendly larger sets). To go alongside Wyler was a producer with the capable hands in Samuel Goldwyn. He had gone from bustling garments to salesman to being in a film company partnership in 1913 with Jesse L. Lasky and others to turn plays into feature-length films. They would later merge with Paramount (alongside Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company), although Goldwyn would later resign in 1916 over disagreements, so he went on to partner with the Selwyn brothers to make the enterprise known as Goldwyn Pictures (with that leading to him changing his name to Goldwyn after being known as Goldfish that he had changed from Gelbfisz). It ran for eight years before being acquired by Marcus Loew to merge with Metro and Mayer to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, although Goldwyn moved on to his own production company, and the company produced films for 36 years that would distributed through various studios such as United Artists and RKO. This was written by Robert E. Sherwood (four-time Pulitzer Prize winner and head of the Office of War Information from 1943 until the end of the war) as an adaptation of the novella Glory for Me (1945) by MacKinlay Kantor, which had been inspired by an article in Time Magazine.

One finds themselves wrapped right in with a film like this from the very first minutes, and it should prove no surprise that this film manages to accomplish this through capable storytelling, having a consistent and engaging focus for each of its veteran plots that weaves magnificently for 172 minutes, where one is absorbed in where the path may go next. March commands the film with great presence, a weary and dogged man that we can go along at any point, which matches Loy and her capable patience that makes for great established chemistry. Andrews pulls off a tremendous performance as well an evolving performance built on humility, with him and March both expressing trauma in their own respective ways (which is especially striking now as it was then). Wright proves fairly charming in a film wrapped in honest realism, where naivety and sentiment are behind for most if the film, while Mayo pulls off a conniving turn in her moments on screen, with the best highlight probably being the scene between the two when they are on a double date and talking to themselves privately. an Army instructor who had lost his hands due to a defective fuse when handling TNT) had been noticed by Wyler due to an Army film named Diary of a Sergeant, which was about rehabilitating veterans. He appeared in three total films, with Wyler having told him to finish his interrupted studies at Boston University. He pulls off his story with tremendous courage in a natural manner, where one is focused on him and his trouble like we would with others with more acting experience while not thinking about his hooks. Rounding out the cast is capable edge filling from singer-turned occasional actor Carmichael and an understanding O'Donnell performance. There is plenty that one can see when it comes to following natural pursuits in this film, one that eventually finds hope in the murkiness that could accompany such a hard readjusting that war can be. It isn't overly-sentimental or cynical to the point of irritation, finding an honest middle ground that lets these characters breathe for themselves. From the deep focus shots from Gregg Toland to highlights like the aircraft boneyard sequence, one will have an interesting time to spend with people that still seem relevant now.

One may not be surprised to know that this was a hit for its year with audiences and critics. It won seven Academy Awards, with Wyler, Sherwood, March, and Russell winning in respective categories of directing, screenplay, and acting while also winning for editing and original score. The night belonged to Goldwyn and Russell, with the former being awarded both an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award along with Best Picture (his one win in eight nominations as producer for Best Picture) for this film while the latter became the first and only actor to receive two Academy Awards for the same performance, having been awarded an Honorary Academy Award (since the Academy apparently believed his Oscar hopes were slim). In any case, it is easy to see why this endures as one of the best films of its era, where one will find themselves satisfied with going through the time to see something like this and not finding their patience tested at any real point.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

A Matter of Life and Death.

Review #1367: A Matter of Life and Death.

Cast:
David Niven (Peter Carter), Kim Hunter (June), Roger Livesey (Dr. Frank Reeves), Raymond Massey (Abraham Farlan), Marius Goring (Conductor 71), Kathleen Byron (Angel), Joan Maude (Chief Recorder), Robert Coote (Bob Trubshawe), Robert Atkins (the Vicar), Abraham Sofaer (the Judge), Richard Attenborough (English Pilot), and Bonar Colleano (American Pilot) Written, Produced, and Directed by Michael Powell (#400 - The Thief of Bagdad) and Emeric Pressburger.

Review:
Sometimes it takes two to make a film go right. Whether it is a collaboration between a producer and a director or a star and director, the best films are the ones that make every aspect work cohesively. Powell and Pressburger are certainly one of the most notable film partnerships in history, and for good reason. The British-born Powell had come from studio hand to title-writer to director in six years, with his debut being Two Crowded Hours (1931) that were followed by quote quickies before a notable success with The Edge of the World (1937). After a few years of directing films, he was hired by Alexander Korda on a contract, and he was soon brought in to do The Spy in Black (1939), where he first met Pressburger, who wrote the screenplay. Pressburger (born in Austria-Hungary) had gone from journalism to screenwriting, starting in Germany and France before leaving for England in 1935 after the Nazis came to power. Pressburger found his footing with fellow Hungarian filmmakers such as Korda and his studio London Films. Powell and Pressburger would ultimately do 24 films together from 1939 to 1972, with most of the films being released under their production company of The Archers, which lasted from 1943 to 1957, with notable films being 49th Parallel (1941, earning Pressburger an Academy Award for Best Story), Black Narcissus (1947), and The Red Shoes (1948).

Undeniably, this is a highlight for 1946, one that prevails in charm through a wonderfully assembled cast that has a sharp script and plenty of visual imagination to go along with it. The most notable effects of the film is the usage of black-and-white for scenes in the Other World, accomplished through not adding color to the print that were filmed in three-strip Technicolor. Of course the other notable effect of the film (released in America as Stairway to Heaven) that dazzles the imagination is a huge escalator, which had 106 stops that were 20 feet wide each and had hanging miniatures to help achieve the final effect. One will find themselves in awe most of the time when it comes to what the film aspires to do with its wit, one that is readily active in stoking emotion and curiosity in both worlds to where you never really want to see it ends. At the command in the film is Niven, wrapped with charisma as the finest everyman one could ever hope for, particularly when it comes to chemistry with Hunter, who is equally as enjoyable when it comes to exuding grace. Livesey provides charm as well, a capable hand of reason that stands at his tallest when it comes to the trial sequence, where he holds his own with the dignified Massey. Goring provides levity in his moments on screen, with the easiest one to highlight being when he appears to Niven after his friends' tennis match is frozen (which in it of itself is quite clever). There exists numerous highlights one can talk about when it comes to the film (in distinct colors, no less), from the capable choreography by Jack Cardiff to the court sequence with its massive set (composed of a 350ft x 40ft high blackcloth) that strikes at the heart with sentiment and a poignant ending that makes it one of the worthiest 104 minutes one could spend with imagination that can amaze any crowd, young or old. It is a film that strikes tenderly in a way that endures after over seven decades because of how much it dazzles with heart that works as well with postwar audiences as it does today, where one could really believe that love can be the strongest thing in our world. It's an easy film to recommend, a gem for Powell and Pressburger that stands with triumph now more than ever.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

The Stranger (1946).

Review #1366: The Stranger.

Cast: 
Edward G. Robinson (Mr. Wilson), Loretta Young (Mary Longstreet Rankin), Orson Welles (Franz Kindler / Professor Charles Rankin), Philip Merivale (Judge Adam Longstreet), Richard Long (Noah Longstreet), Konstantin Shayne (Konrad Meinike), Byron Keith (Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence), Billy House (Mr. Potter), and Martha Wentworth (Sara) Directed by Orson Welles (#200 - Citizen Kane)

Review:
Who better to deliver a film noir with a sense of nightmarish style and purpose than Orson Welles?
Welles had come from stage productions (making his debut at 16) and a notable radio performance with The War of the Worlds (1938) to make his way onto film through RKO in 1939 with a chance to make two of his own films with complete creative control in terms of writing, directing, and performing. He proceeded to have one of the greatest debuts on film with Citizen Kane (1941), which he directed, performed, and co-wrote with Herman J. Mankiewicz, and it was his work on the script that led to his only Academy Award win. His second effort was The Magnificent Ambersons the following year, but his contract was renegotiated to revoke having final cut privilege, with a change in the RKO board eventually leading to the film being dramatically re-cut to fit what they believed would be a more commercial film. Neither were particularly big successes, but they both received praise for the time with critics and Citizen Kane is now generally considered one of the greatest films of all time. He also did work on Journey Into Fear (1943), doing parts of the script along with directing and producing that were left un-credited. He spent the war years primarily in radio (after a failed attempt of making a Latin American anthology film) before being brought into making this film after intended director John Huston left to join the military. He didn't have complete control, but he did try to give the film his own kind of tone, helping to give re-writes (as Huston did, with both un-credited) to Anthony Veiller and Decla Dunning's script alongside doing long takes to hinder edits. The film was one of the first to show documentary footage from the concentration camps, as Welles had seen this footage prior to the war ending in 1945.

It shouldn't be surprising in any case that Welles managed to make such an entertaining film, one with plenty of thrills to deliver with timely fashion that prevails just as much now as it did in the postwar era. One has likely seen a film or two before involving a murderous stranger trying to hide their true presence amongst the others of a small town (with the most immediate film coming to mind being Shadow of a Doubt, released three years earlier), but Welles infuses enough energy in stoking a chilling atmosphere, whether when directing or when on the screen. He succeeds with conviction, filled with charisma in a capably chilling performance. Young plays it just as carefully, where one can believe in the chemistry between her and Welles, a presence caught in the middle of a cat-and-mouse game of truth. Robinson reels in quite well as our focus, filled with desperation in pursuit that comes to a head with the dinner sequence, where they both are carefully studying the other. The rest of the cast are fine, filling in the details where needed, most notably with House, who gives off a few amusing but needed moments. The former vaudevillian was liked enough by Welles that he had expanded his role as production went on (much to Robinson's chagrin). The film moves on its own careful pace, moving along at 95 minutes with a clear vision towards making a web of deceit and descent come true through long takes and good cinematography by Russell Metty, and the climax pulls itself off swiftly. The film came slightly underbudget and early on schedule, although International Pictures did not make any further pictures with Welles, supposedly because they believed the film would be a flop, which of course was proven wrong (becoming Welles' first audience hit). Over the prevailing decades, Welles would go on to make numerous films in Europe and America, ones that received varied noticed from audiences and critics along with their own distinct production cycles,  with his last film coming years after his death with The Other Side of the Wind (2018), which spent years in production and decades in legal trouble. In any case, one should be naturally inclined to include this among others when it comes to film noirs to view as a good example of craftsmanship and cast to go with a capable story, and the fact that it is in the public domain makes it especially worthy.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Big Sleep (1946).

Review #951: The Big Sleep.

Cast:
Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe), Lauren Bacall (Vivian Sternwood Rutledge), John Ridgely (Eddie Mars), Martha Vickers (Carmen Sternwood), Dorothy Malone (Acme Bookstore proprietress), Peggy Knudsen (Mona Mars), Regis Toomey (Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls), Charles Waldron (General Sternwood), Charles D. Brown (Norris), Bob Steele (Lash Canino), Elisha Cook, Jr. (Harry Jones), Louis Jean Heydt (Joe Brody), and Sonia Darrin (Agnes Lowzier) Directed by Howard Hawks.

Review:
This is the first film I've watched that was directed by Howard Hawks (he had done uncredited rewrites to The Thing from Another World (#519), and it is debatable on whether he had directed the film), and he does a good job at making a classic film noir. This was based off the Raymond Chandler crime novel of the same name, with the screenplay written by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett & Jules Furthman; as such, the lines are snappy and effective at making for an incredibly capable thriller. The appeal of the movie is seeing the investigation is executed and not merely just seeing it be solved (Chandler himself was asked by the filmmakers who killed the chauffeur - he responded that he didn't know), with Bogart being quite adept at being the hard-boiled wisecracking detective without any real missteps. Bacall does a fine job in this dazzling role filled with spunk and charisma, and her chemistry with Bogart is undeniably entertaining to watch, in part because of how easy they flow together while on screen together, with the racehorse dialogue being quite suggestive along with energetic. Ridgely does a fine adversarial job; Vickers manages to make her loopy character stand out quite nicely. The rest of the cast are pretty convincing in their roles (such as Malone and Steele), serving finely when compared to the dynamic of Bogart-Bacall, which stands out almost as much as the mystery itself. The movie operates at its own pace, and while it may be a bit hard to follow at times the movie has an undeniable amount of fun entertainment to it all.

This movie was filmed prior to the end of World War II, but it was not released until after Warner Bros. released their backlog of war-related films. There are two versions of the movie. One cut (released only to troops in the South Pacific) lasts 114 minutes, while the released cut lasted 116 minutes. There are differences between the two versions, with scenes added in order to play up the Bogart-Bacall dynamic and portions were re-shot (one key scene cut involves Marlowe and a D.A in conversation); a consequence of this is that Pat Clark was unavailable for the re-shots, so Peggy Knudsen replaced her in the film. In any case, the earlier version apparently is more linear in plot but has less of Bogart-Bacall, so take that for what it's worth. It isn't a perfect movie, but it is at the very least a classic that should watched at least once for anyone who likes film noir, like I do.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Notorious (1946).

Review #910: Notorious.

Cast:
Cary Grant (T. R. Devlin), Ingrid Bergman (Alicia Huberman), Claude Rains (Alexander Sebastian), Leopoldine Konstantin (Madame Anna Sebastian), Louis Calhern (Captain Paul Prescott), Moroni Olsen (Walter Beardsley), Ricardo Costa (Dr. Julio Barbosa), Reinhold Schünzel (Dr. Anderson), Ivan Triesault (Eric Mathis), and Eberhard Krumschmidt (Emil Hupka) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (#219 - Rope, #223 - North by Northwest, #446 - Spellbound, #447 - Psycho, #450 - Vertigo, #455 - Rear Window, #553 - Strangers on a Train, and #800 - Shadow of a Doubt)

Review:
It has been a while since I covered a Hitchcock film on Movie Night, but I figured that it was time to do one that I had been thinking of doing for quite a while now, which is a brilliant spy film noir. The easiest benefit (aside from Hitchcock's direction, which I'll get to) is the trio of Grant, Bergman, and Rains. All three shine in their respective roles, with Grant and Bergman having great chemistry together, particularly during one stretch where the two engage in kissing alongside dialogue and looking at each other, and the sequence (lasting two-and-a-half minutes) is not only one of the most famous sequences in film but also a passionate one to watch. The production code of the time prevented kisses longer than 3 seconds, but the sequence works better than a scene that would've been allowed to linger on that kiss, in part because of the tension one can see between the two being framed better. Rains is also a good villain, being carefully crafted while also having his own kind of chemistry with Bergman, with the right kind of pace and movements.  Konstantin (an Austrian actress popular during the pre-war times in Germany in her only American film performance) is also pretty good. The rest of the cast is also pretty good in their roles. The camera shots are also a key standout, from the shots that introduce Grant's character to the shots from a character's point of view during the climax, with every shot having a key element of finesse to it. The story is crafted excellently, with love and duty being a strong theme that makes for a riveting movie that also has moments of suspense that deliver a great payoff. The climax is a fairly good one, utilizing the characters and story to conclude itself without resorting to a big battle or anything that wouldn't have worked for this movie; this is the kind of a movie where it ends on a character going back to their own house (resigned to their fate), and it's just a neat way to end both that arc and the movie. At 101 minutes, it certainly is a movie with a good pace, and I can definitely recommend checking out this movie, especially if you are a fan of Hitchcock and his work.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Shock.

Review #676: Shock.

Cast
Vincent Price (Dr. Richard Cross), Lynn Bari (Elaine Jordan), Frank Latimore (Lt. Paul Stewart), Anabel Shaw (Janet Stewart), Stephen Dunne (Dr. Stevens), Reed Hadley (O'Neill), Renee Carson (Mrs. Hatfield), and Charles Trowbridge (Dr. Franklin Harvey) Directed by Alfred L. Werker.

Review
I guess I'm shocked this show managed to get to its fourth year anniversary, so logically this movie makes sense for today's focus. It's a delight to review a film with Vincent Price in it, especially when it's a film noir. And hey, it's a 70 minute one, which I guess is a selling point if you want something quick and cheap (made on a budget of $350,000), but that would also work for fast food, so make up your mind on that one. The movie itself is fine, even if it is devoid of mystery. Really the movie is more about waiting for the characters to catch up to Price's schemes. Speaking of Price, he does a fine job; he doesn't just play an evil doctor, which is a good thing, he does a pretty good job portraying the complexities of his predicament. The other actors are fine, they don't overact their roles, though this is more a movie for Price to shine, even over the patient afflicted with shock (Anabel Shaw). It at least looks good to watch, and it has its moments, especially near the end, which manages to be pretty effective in suspense. For this film, anyway. Well I'm glad Movie Night still has new reviews after four years, and I do hope for more fun and entertaining films in the next year or so. Thank you.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: It's a Wonderful Life.

Review #319: It's a Wonderful Life.

Cast
James Stewart (George Bailey), Donna Reed (Mary Bailey), Henry Travers (Clarence Odbody), Lionel Barrymore (Henry F. Potter), Thomas Mitchell (Billy Bailey), Beulah Bondi (Ma Bailey), Frank Faylen (Ernie Bishop), Ward Bond (Bert), Gloria Grahame (Violet Bick), and H. B. Warner (Mr. Gower) Directed by Frank Capra (#102 -  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)

Review
I know it sounds incredibly cliche to review this film, that it sounds all cheerful (The word Wonderful is in the title after all) and all that Christmas spirit and such (which either ends on December 26th or keeps on going until January for some reason). But as it turns out, it's a strangely depressing yet strangely useful film. Capra and Stewart are a good pair, and it works in this film extremely well. I actually thought this would be that film that would be extremely overrated, and that their was another Christmas classic everyone was talking about. I was wrong. Stewart and Travers are the main standouts (though Travers doesn't play a big role till about the last hour), with Bailey not just being a goody goody boy scout, Stewart also convey the darkness that is believable to the end. While it might sound caramel sweet at times, it has some good acting combined with humanity and good will. And isn't that what Christmas needs? Classics to watch, and goodwill toward men and women. While this film wasn't a success in its original release, it would later gain a reputation as one of the Christmas classics. Merry Christmas.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.