The Covered Wagon.

Review #1320: The Covered Wagon.

Cast: 
J. Warren Kerrigan (Will Banion), Lois Wilson (Molly Wingate), Alan Hale (Sam Woodhull), Ernest Torrence (William Jackson), Tully Marshall (Jim Bridger), Ethel Wales (Mrs. Wingate), Charles Ogle (Jesse Wingate), Guy Oliver (Kit Carson), and Johnny Fox (Jed Wingate) Directed by James Cruze (#1263 - The Roaring Road)

Review: 
What is it about the Western that inspires such curiosity? What inspired so many directors and studios to make their own tales (or adapt works) about cowboys, gunslingers, and other various subjects that dominated the film landscape for over half of the 20th century, doing so from the very get go with the first one shot in the United States (and second overall) in The Great Train Robbery (1903), which captivated audiences with its action in such quick time at 12 minutes. The evolution of film production in the two decades that followed meant that at some point one would strive to make a big budget Western epic to hang their cowboy hat on, at least until someone made one that looked better. The honor of being known as the first big-budget Western epic (made for roughly over $700,000 from Paramount Pictures) falls to this feature, which is adapted from the novel of the same name by Emerson Hough. Expense was not spared when it came to research to get costumes and locations scoped out, particularly when it came to finding a herd of wild bison (alongside other animals like oxen and horses) to roam the plains, complete with authentic wagons. If that sounds daunting enough, try being an actor having to spend months in the desert of Utah, dealing with various weather elements alongside being fairly distant from railroads, with one sequence involving wagons fording a torrent being a risky one to film in part because they had to actually swim for it alongside the accompanying horses and oxen. Simply put, one can trace Western epics and the level of craftsmanship one must take in executing ambition from costumes to characters to this film, which manages to hold itself fairly well without becoming too much a thing of the past.

It is an honest spectacle, welcome of curiosity for those who seek out fair pleasures. It has exactly the kind of things you would expect from a Western, with a clear hero, romantic lead and heavy to follow, and one can take a guess as to how these pioneers will do in their journey from Kansas to Oregon for 98 minutes - as long as one does not find themselves checking their watch from time to time or peeking at what comes next, you should do fine. It is the journey that counts when it comes to films, and how one enjoys the ride or trip with these actors and views that counts most, and this one does fine with that in mind - you could probably see this and at have some sort of interest in wondering about the plight of the pioneer, whether that means trouble with just getting to where they need to go or in-fights and so on. The highlight proves to be Torrence and Marshall, giving a bit of amusement as the comic relief, while Kerrigan and Wilson prove adequate if not too memorable people to look at through the lens of a routine romantic Western. Regardless, it proved an audience hit, making roughly seven million dollars, exceeding films now regarded as classics for that year such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Safety Last!, which now can all be found in the public domain for one to eye with curiosity. This film may not stand too highly with some of the Westerns that would come to pass over the next decade and beyond, but it still holds ground as a resilient charmer when it comes to entertainment, and that surely will prove enough for those who want to seek it most.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Review #1173: Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Cast: 
Buster Keaton (William Canfield, Jr.), Ernest Torrence (William "Steamboat Bill" Canfield, Sr.), Marion Byron (Kitty King), Tom McGuire (John James King), and Tom Lewis (Tom Carter) Directed by Charles Reisner and Buster Keaton (#757 - Seven Chances, #762 - College, #805 - The Navigator, #877 - Three Ages, #908 - The General, #926 - Our Hospitality, #941 - Sherlock Jr, #1037 - Go West, and #1058 - Battling Butler)

Review: 
Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928) was the tenth film with Buster Keaton as its main star along with director, although he was not credited for doing the latter unlike with other movies of his. He also reportedly wrote the story for the film, although only Carl Harbaugh was given credit for it. It also served as the last of his films to be distributed by United Artists, as he signed a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who would distribute Keaton's last two starring/directorial efforts (The Cameraman, which was released a few months after this film, and Spite Marriage, which was released the following year). In any case, the film was not an immediate success upon its release, but it has received a following of its own, much like with other Keaton films. It isn't too hard to see why, since Keaton manages to cobble an entertaining feature, filled with some fine gags, a few zippy title cards, and stunts that one would expect from Keaton. He does a fine job leading the way as one would expect, having fine timing and the right kind of expressions to go alongside the effective gags. Torrence does fine with his scenes with Keaton, evoking a few chuckles. Byron and McGuire are fine counterparts when needed in the story, although neither contribute too much in laughs. The characters (for which there aren't too many of) are fairly familiar types, but the film is charming enough to roll along with itself without too much time spent doing silly things. The climax is certainly an entertaining one. A good chunk of the budget (estimated to be around $300,000-$400,000) was spent on the cyclone sequence, having breakaway sets and wind machines. The original intent of the sequence was meant to depict a flood, but this was nixed by producer Joseph M. Schenck, in part because of the Mississippi River Flood that had occurred the previous year. It's a pretty impressive sequence, with the most notable part being where an entire building facade (with only the attic window being open) collapsing all around Keaton, which he did with no camera trickery. Even after nine decades since the film's release, it is still a sight to see, and it does invite chuckles (if not a bit of astonishment) that click with the other parts of the climax. On the whole, the film is a fairly enjoyable and generally consistent one that ranks up just fine with Keaton's other features; it may not be one of his best, but it is still one worth a look.

I want to close this review off by acknowledging that today is the eighth anniversary of the beginning of Movie Night. This show has had written reviews on a fairly consistent level in the 2,922 days from 2010 to 2018, averaging a review roughly every 2.5 days (or so the math says). Although the quantity of reviews has fluctuated over time, I will say that my passion for writing about films and watching them has not declined in the slightest. I wish to express my gratitude to anybody who has had the curiosity to check out this show over the years and anyone who has stuck around to check out what somebody on the Internet has to say about some random movie, whether good or bad. I hope that the years that follow lead to a continuation of interesting films to encounter and ponder about and that you are there to read all about it. Thank you for eight fine years. I would also like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923).

Review #850: The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Cast
Lon Chaney (Quasimodo), Patsy Ruth Miller (Esmeralda), Norman Kerry (Phoebus de Chateaupers), Kate Lester (Madame de Gondelaurier), Winifred Bryson (Fleur de Lys), Nigel De Brulier (Don Claudio), Brandon Hurst (Jehan), Ernest Torrence (Clopin), and Tully Marshall (King Louis XI) Directed by Wallace Worsley.

Review
While this does not necessarily fall into the horror genre (being more of a romance/drama), it is often considered the first film in the "Universal Monsters" series, with a few of the films from that line already reviewed on this show (such as The Phantom of the Opera (#774), the Dracula films, the Frankenstein films, The Invisible Man (#069), The Old Dark House (#465), Murders in the Rue Morgue (#531), The Mummy (#632)...), adapted from the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, with certain liberties taken. I figured it was time to get to this film, which I had considered doing for quite some time, though I always seemed to push it back for other movies, until now. It is clear to see why Chaney was often called "The Man of a Thousand Faces", as he is spectacularly unrecognizable as the Hunchback, with the makeup being exquisitely grotesque, looking great for the time and even now. Miller and Kerry do fine in their romance scenes, having some sort of chemistry amidst the ultimate heartbreak. Hurst plays a decent villain, but the real star of the show is the grand scale of everything. There is a good deal of depth in the sets and costumes that create such a magnificent and true atmosphere, with different color hues in certain scenes that really stick out nicely. There isn't too much use of inter-titles, but the film manages to convey itself neatly without dialogue, like most great silent films do. The version I watched includes music compiled by Donald Hunsberger (with adaption and conduction by Robert Israel and his orchestra), which accompanies the movie excellently in capturing the movie's scale. The length of the movie depends on what copy you are seeing, ranging from 95 minutes to over two hours, with the version I watched being nearly around 110 minutes, and it paces itself well. Clearly I recommend this movie, and you can find it almost anywhere in part due to it being in the public domain.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.