Showing posts with label William Keighley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Keighley. Show all posts

December 23, 2013

Movie Night: The Adventures of Robin Hood.


Review #505: The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Cast
Errol Flynn (Robin Hood), Olivia de Havilland (Maid Marian), Basil Rathbone (Sir Guy of Gisbourne), Claude Rains (Prince John), Patric Knowles (Will Scarlett), Eugene Pallette (Friar Tuck), Alan Hale Sr. (Little John), Herbert Mundin (Much), Melville Cooper (High Sheriff of Nottingham), Una O'Connor (Bess), and Ian Hunter (King Richard the Lionheart) Directed by Michael Curtiz (#125 - Casablanca and #416 - Yankee Doodle Dandy) and William Keighley (#501 - The Man Who Came to Dinner)

Review
This is the first film I've reviewed that starred Errol Flynn, along with the first of Olivia de Havilland, and they both are impressive, especially when they are paired together in scenes. Flynn is quite the adventurer and he does an extremely great job in the action scenes and the swashbuckling. Basil Rathbone (who I wanted to talk about in more detail when I eventually got to reviewing The Hound of the Baskervilles) is an effective adversary, getting a good fight with Robin at the end, but also being a good foil as well. Claude Rains lurks around as a fine villain that while not having a fight scene, is still a useful villain. The rest of the cast are effective at entertaining, especially Herbert Mundin, who while not given much to do, makes an impression, at least for me anyways. The action is excellent and the Technicolor give the film a colorful, yet memorable look. This is a well made, excellent adventure film that hasn't dated much, if at all.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

December 20, 2013

Movie Night: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Review #501: The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Cast
Monty Woolley (Sheridan Whiteside), Bette Davis (Maggie Cutler), Ann Sheridan (Lorraine Sheldon), Richard Travis (Bertram H. Jefferson), Jimmy Durante (Banjo), Grant Mitchell (Ernest W. Stanley), Billie Burke (Daisy Stanley), Reginald Gardiner (Beverly Carlton), Elisabeth Fraser (June Stanley), George Barbier (Dr. E. Bradley), and Mary Wickes (Nurse Preen) Directed by William Keighley.

Review
Based on the comedy play of the same name, The Man Who Came to Dinner tries its best, and while it doesn't always succeed, it certainly hits more than it misses. Monty Woolley certainly is the big attraction of the film, and while he certainly is an odd fellow to watch, he is at least moderately funny to watch. Bette Davis is our leading actress, reportedly wanting the role solely due to wanting to play a comedic role for once, and she does a decent job at it. The rest of the cast is all well and good, and Durante is frantic, but effective. The film starts a bit slow, but it has its fun, and while it could be more, it's well enough, I suppose.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.