Murder, My Sweet.

Review #2233: Murder, My Sweet.

Cast: 

Dick Powell (Philip Marlowe), Claire Trevor (Helen Grayle/Velma Valento), Anne Shirley (Ann Grayle), Otto Kruger (Jules Amthor), Mike Mazurki (Moose Malloy), Miles Mander (Mr. Grayle) Douglas Walton (Lindsay Marriott), Don Douglas (Police Lt. Randall), Ralf Harolde (Dr. Sonderborg), and Esther Howard (Mrs. Jessie Florian) Directed by Edward Dmytryk (#715 - Crossfire)

Review: 

The 1940s were a tremendous time for mysteries and film noirs, with a handful involving Raymond Chandler in some form. Chandler had done a handful of writing in his early life, but he had worked in civil service and a variety of other things, which ended with being fired as vice president of the Dabney Oil Syndicate in the midst of the Great Depression. It was then that Chandler decided to write pulp fiction for a living (as inspired by reading stuff such as the pulp magazine Black Mask), which included his first novel (involving the character of Philip Marlowe) with The Big Sleep in 1939; Chandler finished seven novels with Marlowe prior to his death in 1959 at age 70. The first film based on Chandler's books was Time to Kill (1942), which was based on Chandler's third novel The High Window (1942) but with the lead character's name being "Michael Shayne" (which actually was a detective character created by Brett Halliday featured in a handful of films). There was then The Falcon Takes Over (1942), which borrowed elements from Chandlers' second novel in Farewell, My Lovely (1940) that was actually the third film in a series with a gentleman detective named "The Falcon". Now here we are in 1944 with the first Chandler adaptation with the Marlowe character while the author was busy with scripts himself (he co-wrote Double Indemnity along with And Now Tomorrow). RKO, who had been behind the aforementioned Falcon film, was behind this film, which was scripted by John Paxton. At the hand to direct is Dmytryk, who had risen from editor to directing by 1935, which was mostly in the B-category. RKO changed the title before release on the grounds that people thought it was a musical. The next adaptation of the Farewell novel would be in 1975, featuring Robert Mitchum as Marlowe. 

Powell was actually more known for his singing and romantic image. Incidentally, he had applied for the lead role in Double Indemnity, but he lost out to Fred MacMurray. The resulting success of this film altered his image, and he would feature again in a Dmytryk film with Cornered (1945). Considered by some to be among the first of the film noirs, it is pretty evident one has a wonderfully boiled movie on their hands that maneuvers through 95 minutes with worthwhile pacing and dialogue (as sometimes told in voiceover) in cutting efficiency. There is a casual edge to Powell that carries the film in ways that could only be done in an era of blistering need for entertainment. He drifts in and out with curiosity that really could fit the description made once in the film as not so much a detective but a slot machine. His nightmare in this atmosphere is one that we can get behind within all of the dirty work that arises in mystery that is especially familiar to those who love their cut-rate stories. Shirley (in her final role prior to retiring) and Trevor are the dueling objects of curiosity that each do pretty well in the usual expectations, particularly for the femme fatale in the latter. Mazurki makes a worthwhile heavy (with a little bit of help in angling, since the former wrestler was only slightly taller than Powell). The climax in finishing the setup of its intro (a man with a blindfold) is a pretty good one in closing such a lingering story of crosses with worthwhile reward (Chandler was once quoted as saying an ideal mystery was "one you would read if the end was missing", incidentally). As a whole, when it comes to seedy noirs relayed to audiences with worthwhile conviction and foundation, you can't go wrong with films such as this one to check out. 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Hard, Fast and Beautiful.

Review #2189: Hard, Fast and Beautiful.

Cast: 

Claire Trevor (Millie Farley), Sally Forrest (Florence Farley), Carleton G. Young (Fletcher Locke), Robert Clarke (Gordon McKay), Kenneth Patterson (Will Farley), Marcella Cisney (Miss Martin), and Joseph Kearns (J.R. Carpenter) Directed by Ida Lupino (#799 - The Hitch-Hiker, #1651 - Never Fear, #1811 - Not Wanted, #1991 - Outrage)

Review: 

"“I’m mad, they say. I am temperamental and dizzy and disagreeable. Well, let them talk. Only one person can hurt me. Her name is Ida Lupino."

You have to understand that Ida Lupino had to work hard to get her films made with as little as trouble as possible as one could do when doing films that were done in production with Collier Young and the distribution that came with this film in RKO. The movie was based on a novel by John R. Tunis (often considered a pioneer in the modern version of the sports story). Some sources have said the source material was his novel American Girl, a 1930 novel. Tunis apparently cited Helen Wills when it came to his fictionalization for a story considering unflattering in what happened to be the only novel that he wrote to be published for adults, as most of his works were quite popular in the kid's market (this idea of it being based on Wills seems curious, as she was described as quite focused on the court at large, which resulted in eight wins at Wimbledon, among other things). However, other sources contend that the story "Mother of a Champion" was an inspiration for the film. The screenplay was written by Martha Wilkerson, who actually was better known as a disc jockey (named "GI Jill") on GI Jive, a radio program that was aired during World War II. This was her only film screenplay, although she did write for a handful of television programs. Eleanor Tennant, cited often as the first female player to turn professional (until 1968, it was more of a thing for people to stay as amateurs because that is where the titles such as Wimbledon were played with), was cited as a technical advisor for the film.

As her fourth film as a director, it certainly has its own edge in looking upon the clash of sincerity and ambition that strikes a bit different from her previous movies about an unwed mother, polio, and rape victim. There are elements here that make one think they are watching a noir that her previous films have done in their own interesting ways when it comes to talking about her intent to do movies with "poor bewildered people" because of what we people are. In this case, we have a bewildered mother that tries to live vicariously through their daughter to get a life better than the one she felt was denied to her. It's the general story one can see in other people's lives when it comes to domineering parents among impressionable youths. Trevor (an Academy Award winning actress for Key Largo [1948], remember) is the ideal presence in domineering obsession that we can wince at with such truthful edge. Her craven pursuits are a human one that isn't just a goofy villain, particularly when sharing scenes with Patterson and his calm patience for such brazen ambition. Forrest appeared in a Lupino film for the third and final time (having appeared in Not Wanted and Never Fear), which also happened to be just before she transitioned to also doing TV roles. She does pretty well here in needing to find one's path beyond obedience to their elders and finding someone (or something) to spend time for themselves. It goes okay in that pairing of Forrest and Clarke is the kind of stuff that is vanilla but totally ideal in being a threat to someone like Trevor when it comes to being the key sphere in one's life. The tennis action is cut pretty well to what one would think would need to be present that is a pretty neat capsule for how it looked in some way for the time made. The ending is, well, take one guess in what happens with a dilemma involving a growing woman having to make her own decision. I do like the closing sequence where a woman sits alone in a vacant stadium, left to ponder the hollowness of the choices made to get to where they are sitting now. As a whole, it is a decent film that belongs squarely with the kind of human interest that Lupino liked to do in her films that will work for its 78 minutes for those who know what they are getting into with her as a filmmaker and as a curiosity as a tennis film.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Stagecoach (1939).

Review #1349: Stagecoach.

Cast: 
Claire Trevor (Dallas), John Wayne (Ringo Kid), Andy Devine (Buck), John Carradine (Hatfield), Thomas Mitchell (Doc Boone), Louise Platt (Lucy Mallory), George Bancroft (Marshal Curley Wilcox), Donald Meek (Samuel Peacock), Berton Churchill (Henry Gatewood), and Tim Holt (Lieutenant Blanchard) Directed by John Ford (#398 - The Last Hurrah and #1324 - 3 Bad Men)

Review: 
When the right actors and directors are in place to tell a tale of the Old West, it can make for great entertainment. In the early parts of the 20th century, there were plenty of Western films to go around, whether made with a bit of ambition in budget or made on the cheap. John Wayne served as star to several films of the latter category for a majority of the 1930s, most notably with Poverty Row company Monogram Pictures (although there were films he made with the bigger studios, albeit as B-pictures). Although one recognizes his good performance from his feature starring debut in The Big Trail (1930) now, it was considered a financial flop at the time, which did not help his career. But one man knew he had some promise. Who better to exude such confidence than John Ford? For his first Western in thirteen years, Ford tried to attract interest from the major studios to make his film the way he wanted, but it was Selznick International Pictures (founded by noted producer David O. Selznick) that found itself attracted to it more than the majors. Of course, Selznick wanted big name stars to headline the film like Gary Cooper or Marlene Dietrich as opposed to Wayne, but Ford stood firm and eventually found his producer in Walter Wanger with United Artists, albeit with a budget of just $500,000. The film is an adaptation of Ernest Haycox's 1937 short story "The Stage to Lordsburg", done so by Dudley Nichols, who had won an Academy Award for his screenplay in a previous collaboration with Ford earlier with The Informer (1935). A film like this would not come easy - for the director nor its stars. Ford was a man who liked to keep his actors on their toes, describing Devine at one point as a "big tub of lard" and Wayne as a "big oaf". Of course Devine provides a well-done performance (complete with his riding of six horses, which helped him get the part) and Wayne is the everyman that all should look up to, with Ford being the guide in challenging his actors to new heights. Of course one cannot forget Monument Valley, a region on the Arizona-Utah border with plenty of sandstone buttes to behold. Ford loved the place so much that he would return to use it for several films in the following decades, with its wide open spaces blending in with the studio-filmed coach sequences and the backlot usage for the town parts. One who should not be forgotten for their contributions is stuntman Yakima Canutt. The first is his help in suggestions when it came to trying to pull off a sequence with the stagecoach floating across a river with passengers in it (his solution? hollow logs tied to the coach). The second is his stunt-work with the memorable attack of the stagecoach by the natives, in which he rode full speed alongside the coach on a horse, with the most notable stunt being him falling between two lead horses before hanging from the rig before letting go to allow for the horses and the stagecoach to pass over him. Of course the way they handled the horses for filming during said sequence is not as astonishing, as they used a "Running W" device that essentially circled the legs of a horse with an iron clamp and strong wires for when they needed a horse to tumble after its rider was "shot" (with the obvious result being an effective trick but plenty of injured horses). The attitude towards Native Americans that this film has (as is the case with numerous Westerns of the time) is certainly dated, but I am sure it will note adversely affect the general enjoyment of the film as a whole.

One cannot forget about the ensemble in all of this. It is a brilliantly assembled group, each of which being clearly defined in their presence that does not get lost in the shuffle of adventure. A group of eccentric but well definable (and therefore relatable) folks on a trip wracked with some sort of problem either internally or externally seems fairly familiar, but this is a well-executed one at that, moving with the rhythm of a horse on the move. One cares for this group of travelers during this 96 minute trail, and it all starts with Wayne and his memorable close-up entrance. He provides wonderful dignity in a manner that extends to his time spent with Trevor. They share careful chemistry with each other, rolling with the tension that comes with a journey without needing to resort to cliches of the heart, which goes well with the weary vulnerability she exudes. Devine provides squeaky charm of the best sort - you would be proud to have him around for a ride or a story. One cannot forget Carradine (who went from stage company to 300-film company in a six decade career) and his sleek gambler nature that aligns with Platt in contrast quite well. Mitchell (in an Oscar-winning turn) provides warmth and eccentric nature through the wise drunk man routine that pays off in spades for each moment. Bancroft provides grit with authority that is to be expected to the ends the film needs to go to, while Platt, Meek and Churchill each provide distinct qualities that make them seem more than just in the background, wrapped in either dignity, meekness, or prejudice. By the time the film gets to its sequence involving the chase of the stagecoach through dangerous territory, one has found themselves never really wanting the trail to find its end, riveted at what they see go on with a crew at the top of their game for the perfect time (this of course did not stop someone from remaking it in 1966). The build-up to the final showdown is just as exquisite, magic in delivering tension without needing to show a big gun-fight to make an impact. Wayne became a star because of this film, and he would team up with Ford in several productions over the following three decades, most of which (but not all) being Westerns. 1939 was a great year for films, and this is one of those films, a legendary tale worth viewing to understand what one can do with an ensemble cast and a hard-nosed determined director at the helm to make history.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Babe Ruth Story.

Review #432: The Babe Ruth Story.

Cast
William Bendix (George Herman "Babe" Ruth), Claire Trevor (Claire Hodgson Ruth), Charles Bickford (Brother Matthias), Sam Levene (Phil Conrad), William Frawley (Jack Dunn), Gertrude Niesen (Nightclub Singer), and Fred Lightner (Miller Huggins) Directed by Roy Del Ruth (#398 - The Maltese Falcon (1931)

Review
I've already reviewed a film based off Babe Ruth (#389 - The Babe), but this film managed to be released in Ruth's lifetime. How much of his lifetime? Long enough for him to see it before he died, as he would see the film three weeks before his death. In that respect, this film feels like it was rushed beyond oblivion with no care for the facts which stink more than a skunk. The Babe wasn't good because of awkwardness, its fallacy of history and a weak script.  But this? This is the anti-thesis of a sports film, this is a sugar coat of a film. How much of a sugar coat? Imagine a Twix candy bar deep fried in chocolate and then filled with sugar. It's so sickeningly sweet with its character that no amount of acting could help this film. And that's where the film keeps on dragging down, down, down. Part of the problem of The Babe Ruth Story is that while it has a sweet side, that's all it has. Bendix isn't even a good player when it comes to the baseball scenes, swinging very oddly and throwing very...weirdly, making John Goodman look great by comparison. Bendix portrays him very child-like, resembling Curly from the Three Stooges. The worst scene in the film is either the ending scene (where the child that he once met that apparently started walking after they met), that "Called Shot" scene (The myth being he called his shot before he hit a home run in the World Series - in the scene, his home run apparently saves a sick child), or when kids sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" outside his hospital window. It's a disgrace to sports biopics that manages to make even "The Babe" look average by comparison. In two attempts to make a biopic about Babe Ruth, both times the films failed to do just one single purpose: Have a good Babe Ruth. You might as well read "The Babe and I" by Claire Ruth, a biopic by his wife. But oh well.

Overall, I give it 1 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Key Largo.

Review #419: Key Largo.

Cast
Humphrey Bogart (Frank McCloud), Edward G. Robinson (Johnny Rocco), Lauren Bacall (Nora Temple), Lionel Barrymore (James Temple), Claire Trevor (Gaye Dawn), Thomas Gomez (Richard "Curly" Hoff), Harry Lewis (Edward "Toots" Bass), John Rodney (Deputy Sheriff Clyde Sawyer), Marc Lawrence (Ziggy), and Dan Seymour (Angel Garcia) Directed by John Huston (#081 - The Maltese Falcon (1941), #094 - The Misfits, #224 - Casino Royale (1967)

Review
Once again I have the chance to review a film directed by John Huston, and one with Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson, who I loved in The Cincinnati Kid (#273), with Laura Bacall and Lionel Barrymore, who I last reviewed in America (not everyday you review a star who stars in silent and talkie films), so this was irresistible. And it did not disappoint. The main four (Bogart, Robinson, Bacall and Barrymore) all do respectable jobs, but Claire Trevor stands out among the rest, especially when she sings a capella in front of everyone, a moving scene. This film has a tense pace going, never letting go of its roots, having a climatic ending and a good directing job by Huston once again.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.