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Month: April 2012

Woman’s Vengeance, A (1948)

Woman’s Vengeance, A (1948)

“I heard Mr. Maurier say he wished she was dead.”

Synopsis:
A man (Charles Boyer) whose invalid wife (Rachel Kempson) suddenly dies of a heart attack marries his young lover (Ann Blyth), much to the chagrin of his long-time friend (Jessica Tandy), who has a crush on him. Soon Kempson’s nurse (Mildred Natwick) begins to suspect that Boyer may have killed his wife, and Boyer’s newfound happiness is compromised.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ann Blyth Films
  • Charles Boyer Films
  • Jessica Tandy Films
  • Murder Mystery

Review:
Zoltan Korda directed this adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s story “The Gioconda Smile”, starring Jessica Tandy (fresh off of her success on Broadway as Blanche DuBois) in one of her meatiest cinematic roles.

Unfortunately, the storyline itself isn’t quite up to her estimable talents; Huxley’s attempt to set up an array of potential murder suspects in the first 20 minutes doesn’t prevent one from easily guessing the real culprit (if paying attention):


… and the pacing of the entire affair seems somewhat off. Meanwhile, it’s difficult to understand what Boyer sees in Blyth:

… and Cedric Hardwicke’s role as an omnipresent, ferociously understanding family doctor feels contrived at best.

With that said, atmospheric cinematography and Tandy’s brave, psychologically nuanced performance make this a melodrama you certainly won’t mind sitting through once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jessica Tandy as Janet
  • Atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look if you stumble upon a copy.

Links:

West of Zanzibar (1928)

West of Zanzibar (1928)

“For all the suffering he brought her, he’s going to pay!”

Synopsis:
After learning his wife (Jacqueline Gadsden) has betrayed him, a magician (Lon Chaney, Sr.) is paralyzed in a fight with her lover (Lionel Barrymore), and later seeks revenge upon both Barrymore and his wife’s grown daughter (Mary Nolan).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Africa
  • Lionel Barrymore Films
  • Lon Chaney, Sr. Films
  • Revenge
  • Silent Films
  • Tod Browning Films
  • Warner Baxter Films

Review:
Based upon the 1926 Broadway play Kongo (which was filmed as a talkie in 1932 with Walter Huston), this atmospheric silent film by director Tod Browning has retained much of its power and creepy eloquence, thanks in large part to a haunting central performance by Lon Chaney, Sr. The 65-minute screenplay hurls along at breakneck speed, quickly setting up the initial conflict, then suddenly sending us (for no apparent reason) to the depths of Africa, where Chaney’s character uses his skills as a magician to hold sway over the natives. While one might wish for a tad more explanation or exposition, the film’s central theme remains crystal clear: Chaney will avenge both the loss of his wife and the loss of his mobility, at any cost. Watching him slither along the floor, a snarl permanently etched onto his face, one feels it’s not really possible for a man to be more deeply scarred and embittered. Barrymore, meanwhile, makes a worthy foil, and the sets convey an appropriate sense of claustrophobic menace. Warner Baxter as Chaney’s personal doctor (whose loyal presence is never fully explained) serves as a welcome relief in the midst of such unrelenting gloom; knowing that he will likely fall for the pretty, put-upon Nolan helps us feel some small sense of hope.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Lon Chaney as Phroso, a.k.a. “Dead-Legs”
  • Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Crane
  • Appropriately claustrophobic sets

Must See?
Yes; this remains a powerful early revenge flick, one which all film fanatics should check out.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976)

Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976)

“You have the instincts of an Arab, Ilsa.”

Synopsis:
The domineering harem keeper (Dyanna Thorne) for an oil sheik (Jerry Deloney) tortures a spy (Haji) while falling for a studly American visitor (Max Thayer).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Middle East
  • Prisoners
  • Strong Females

Review:
Sexploitation fans who can’t get enough of Dyanne Thorne’s buxomy blonde bitch Ilsa (first seen in 1973’s Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS) will likely be thrilled to see her magically resurrected for this first of three follow-up titles in the series (Peary mercifully leaves the last two out of his GFTFF). For what it’s worth, I find …Harem Keeper marginally less offensive than its more infamous predecessor; apparently the script was intentionally toned down to try to appeal to a wider audience, leaving IHK a rather standard ’70s exploitation flick with plenty of t&a, exaggerated violence, and hiss-worthy villains strewn throughout its typically preposterous plot. This time around, I was better able to appreciate Thorne’s ludicrously campy performance as Ilsa — but since I’m really not the target audience for flicks like this, I’m unable to say much more in its favor; it’s only must-see for diehard fans of the genre, and all others can feel free to stay away.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Dyanne Thorne’s no-holds-barred campy portrayal as Ilsa

Must See?
No. Listed as a Cult Movie and Trash in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Man They Could Not Hang, The (1939)

Man They Could Not Hang, The (1939)

“To operate on a living body is like trying to repair a motor when it’s still running.”

Synopsis:
A doctor (Boris Karloff) experimenting with a radical form of surgery is captured by police after temporarily putting his student (Stanley Brown) to death; unwilling to believe that he meant no harm, a jury sentences him to death by hanging. But Karloff’s assistant (Joe De Stefani) resurrects him using Karloff’s own methods, and soon Karloff begins seeking revenge on those responsible for his death.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Boris Karloff Films
  • Horror<
  • Mad Doctors and Scientists
  • Revenge

Review:
As noted in my review of The Walking Dead (1936), Boris Karloff was cast in an ordinate number of B-level “living dead” flicks after achieving fame as the Monster in Frankenstein (1931); in The Man They Could Not Hang, he plays the “mad doctor” rather than the subject of experimentation. The first half of the film — in which the premise is established, and characters are clearly divided between Sympathetic and Unsympathetic to Karloff’s cause — is rather standard fare; it’s not until the second half that things really kick into high gear, as the resurrected Karloff calls together all the remaining individuals who have wronged him, and proceeds to cause their deaths one by one. This section is nicely handled, and makes the film as a whole worth a look; otherwise, this one is strictly must-see for Karloff fans.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • The gripping “old dark house” revenge sequence
  • Atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for its tense second half.

Links:

Craig’s Wife (1936)

Craig’s Wife (1936)

“Nobody can know another human being enough to trust him.”

Synopsis:
A controlling, upwardly mobile housewife (Rosalind Russell) who married her adoring husband (John Boles) for his money finds her carefully planned life crumbling apart when her husband’s volatile friend (Thomas Mitchell) is found dead.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Dorothy Arzner Films
  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • Housewives
  • Marital Problems
  • Play Adaptation
  • Rosalind Russell Films
  • Strong Females
  • Thomas Mitchell Films

Review:
Film fanatics are likely most familiar with the third cinematic adaptation of George Kelly’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, retitled as Harriet Craig (1950), and starring Joan Crawford in what many consider to be one of her most personally-defined performances. Indeed, given how closely Crawford’s own infamous persona aligns with the play’s troubled protagonist, one might find it difficult to imagine anyone else in the role — yet the indomitable Rosalind Russell is equally up to the task. Indeed, by the end of the story, Russell actually manages to make us feel somewhat sorry for this most unsympathetic of heroines, a calculating woman so focused on maintaining control over her household that she stupidly fails to recognize her imminent downfall.

Watching Harriet Craig a few years ago was my personal introduction to Kelly’s play; viewing it once again (albeit in a truncated fashion; this film runs just 73 minutes, 21 minutes less than Harriet Craig), I had a renewed appreciation for the important themes he’s attempting to address, and I found myself doubly thankful that this earlier version was directed by Dorothy Arzner, whose feminist sensibilities shine through clearly. Indeed, Russell’s Harriet comes across as nothing less than a deeply self-preserving woman who recognizes that her only chance at security in life is wooing a well-off man who will give her whatever she wants; her mistake, of course, lies in failing to recognize that longevity requires more than just this initial conquest. To that end, I remain troubled in both adaptations by the unrealistic character arc of Craig’s husband, who shifts from adoring puppy (how can he be so clueless?) to wounded cynic far too quickly — but this time around, I found myself better able to understand the need for dramatic compression (this is an adaptation of a play, after all). Ultimately, both Craig’s Wife and Harriet Craig remains worth a look by those interested in engaging with the play’s challenging yet provocative premise.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Rosalind Russell as Harriet Craig
  • John Boles as Walter Craig
  • Arzner’s confident direction

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly worth a look. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Walking Dead, The (1936)

Walking Dead, The (1936)

“What effect did the experience of death have on his subconscious mind?”

Synopsis:
A pianist (Boris Karloff) falsely accused of murdering a judge (Joe King) is electrocuted, but brought back to life by a scientist (Edmund Gwenn), after which he proceeds to haunt the men who framed him.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Boris Karloff Films
  • Edmund Gwenn Films
  • Framed
  • Life After Death
  • Mad Doctors and Scientists
  • Michael Curtiz Films
  • Revenge

Review:
After his breakthrough role as the Monster in Frankenstein (1931), Boris Karloff was involved in no less than seven other films involving mad scientists and/or living corpses; five of these — Before I Hang (1940), Black Friday (1940), The Devil Commands (1941), The Man They Could Not Hang (1939), and this title — are listed in Peary’s book. The Walking Dead seems perhaps most closely aligned with Frankenstein‘s sensibilities, given that Karloff’s post-death make-up (though much more muted) pays explicit homage to that of his fabled Monster, and the resurrection scene hearkens back strongly to its classic predecessor, with Dr. Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) actually stating in awe, “He’s alive!”

Given the enormous popularity of Frankenstein (and Universal Studios’ eagerness to bank upon its successes), these thematic connections are not all that surprising — nor, sadly, is the fact that The Walking Dead pales in comparison.

The film’s primary problem lies in its underdeveloped narrative and characters. There’s a weak attempt at a romantic subplot between Gwenn’s over-worked assistants (played by Marguerite Churchill and Warren Hull), but this goes absolutely nowhere:

… and speaking of Gwenn, his “mad doctor” is frustratingly opaque.

It’s difficult to think of Gwenn as anything other than a jolly do-gooder, yet here he blithely fools around with a man’s existence to fulfill his own curiosities about death — all the same, we’re left unsatisfied in terms of knowing how exactly we’re meant to react to him and his motivations. Karloff, however, is fine from beginning to end — as with his Monster, he injects his troubled protagonist here with extraordinary pathos throughout.

Meanwhile, director Michael Curtiz and DP Hal Mohr do a fine job playing up the atmospheric nature of the screenplay, which cleverly incorporates gangster elements into its storyline; Ricardo Cortez as the lead gangster responsible for boldly sending Karloff to the electric chair is particularly well cast.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Boris Karloff as John Ellman
  • Atmospheric cinematography and direction

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing.

Links:

Finishing School (1934)

Finishing School (1934)

“The aim of our school — and we like to believe the achievement — is to prepare young ladies to meet graciously all social demands.”

Synopsis:
The daughter (Frances Dee) of a wealthy socialite (Billie Burke) is sent to a finishing school, where she rooms with an outspoken heiress (Ginger Rogers) who introduces her to the high life. Soon she meets a medical intern (Bruce Cabot) moonlighting as a waiter, and falls in love — much to the consternation of her disapproving headmistress (Beulah Bondi).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Beulah Bondi Films
  • Boarding School
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Frances Dee Films
  • Ginger Rogers Films
  • Morality Police

Review:
Finishing School is perhaps best known for providing Ginger Rogers with her final supporting role before she achieved leading-lady fame with Fred Astaire in The Gay Divorcee (1934) — but it remains a noteworthy, historically interesting little film in its own right. Released just before the Hays Code became more strictly enforced, it dares to present the story of a young socialite who embarks upon a romance with an upstanding young doctor-in-training, and…

(sorry for mild spoilers)

… isn’t necessarily made to pay for her “sins”. What’s most fascinating about Finishing School is the way it daringly portrays the utter hypocrisy behind upper-class mores, which hold that as long as one isn’t “caught”, one can get away with just about anything; the goal is to avoid detection and public shame. One particularly well-handled scene shows Bondi glimpsing Dee arriving home after an outing with Mac, and hesitating as she clearly wishes she could pretend not to have seen what she just saw.

Dee’s sin isn’t carousing; it’s falling in love with a lower-class man and daring to present it openly.

Dee does a fine, sensitive job in the leading role:

… and Cabot stands out as refreshingly natural in what appears at first to be a nominal supporting role (he’s first glimpsed wandering around a hotel room picking up after the partying socialites), but turns into a major romantic lead; one can easily see why Dee would fall for someone like him.

Rogers, meanwhile, is perfectly cast as Dee’s wisecracking roomie, and other young starlets — including Anne Shirley — do a fine job portraying young heiresses of various stripes. Interestingly, Finishing School was co-directed by a woman (Wanda Tuchock) — something so unusual at the time that it most definitely stands out when watching the opening credits. (Unfortunately, it seems she only directed one other short film; the rest of her Hollywood career was spent on screenwriting.)

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Frances Dee as Virginia
  • Bruce Cabot as Mac
  • Ginger Rogers as Pony

Must See?
Yes, as a fine example of a pre-Code drama unhampered by moral restrictions.

Categories

  • Good Show

Links:

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975)

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975)

“Once a prisoner has slept with me, he will never sleep with a woman again. If he lives, he will remember only the pain of the knife.”

Synopsis:
A sadistic Nazi prison warden (Dyanne Thorne) gleefully tortures both male and female prisoners in her camp, not realizing that her latest sexual conquest — an American named Wolfe (Gregory Knoph) — is helping to plot her downfall.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Concentration Camps
  • Horror
  • Nazis
  • S&M
  • Strong Females

Response to Peary’s Review:
I’ll admit to avoiding this “indefensible” sexploitation flick (a “cult film for [the] sick set, with a plot suitable for S&M porno books”) for as long as possible before finally giving in to write a review for this site — which is not to say I haven’t been weirdly curious about it for years; with such a “notorious reputation” (and a morbidly intriguing title), it’s hard not to at least wonder what this film and its three similarly-titled sequels have to offer.

In his review of this first entry in the series, Peary notes that “at least the torture/violence is not as convincing as one might fear”, and points out that “the brutality looks staged”; yet the “poor acting, pedestrian direction, and a repelling overdose of bondage and violence” still “put the film at [the] bottom of the women-in-prison genre”. Indeed, it’s genuinely distressing to know that this film has a cult of diehard followers who find nothing wrong with what they refer to as its “campy” sex and violence; why in the world would people choose to sit through something this distasteful? (Clearly I’m not the target audience.) Unfortunately, I’ll eventually have to subject myself to a bit more, given that Peary lists one of the sequels — Ilsa, Harem Keeper for the Oil Sheiks (1976) — in the back of his book, despite openly referring to it as “worse”. Why, oh why, Peary?

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Nothing.

Must See?
No; despite its undeniable notoriety, film fanatics should only check this one out at their own peril.

Links:

Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

“You children don’t want to leave here! You have a home here — forever!”

Synopsis:
A demented widow (Shelly Winters) whose young daughter died in an accident many years earlier entices a young orphan (Chloe Franks) to come live with her in her mansion — but Franks’ brother (Mark Lester) believes Winters is a witch, and is determined to rescue Franks (and himself) from her clutches.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Horror
  • Hugh Griffith Films
  • Orphans
  • Ralph Richardson Films
  • Shelley Winters Films
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Following in the dubious footsteps of What’s the Matter With Helen? (1971), Who Slew Auntie Roo? inexplicably gives away a major spoiler in its very title — an inauspicious sign for what amounts to a disappointing entry in the Grande Dame Guignol (or “Psycho Biddy”) horror subgenre (kicked off by Robert Aldrich’s classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?). The primary problem with … Auntie Roo is that Winters’ deeply troubled character is pitiable rather than fearful, given that we see early on how her daughter died in a tragic incident (rather than, say, being murdered); we therefore never really believe the two orphans are in serious danger. Instead, Lester — who apparently is convinced he’s trapped in the story “Hansel and Gretel” — emerges as the unlikely villain of the piece, convincing his sister that “Auntie Roo” is going to stuff them and eat them for dinner.

Meanwhile, other plot elements — such as the presence of Winters’ manipulative butler (Michael Gothard) working in cahoots with a sham medium (Ralph Richardson) to convince Winters her daughter is communicating with her — are poorly resolved.

Winters tries hard with the material she’s given, but this one is only must-see for her diehard fans.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Some campily creepy moments
  • Fine sets

Must See?
No; feel free to skip this one.

Links:

Testament (1983)

Testament (1983)

“Tell it to stop.”

Synopsis:
In the aftermath of a nuclear attack, a mother (Jane Alexander) whose traveling husband (William Devane) is presumed dead struggles to keep her three kids — Mary Liz (Roxana Zal), Brad (Rossie Harris), and Scottie (Lukas Haas) — and herself alive.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary accurately argues that this “meaningful, heartfelt film by Lynne Littman is the bleakest of all nuclear-holocaust pictures”; indeed, I believe it’s actually one of the most emotionally devastating films ever made (so be forewarned!). Peary notes that while “in most nuclear-holocaust films the survivors struggle but eventually figure out the way to start a new world”, in this film “there will be no future”, which makes it particularly touching to see how Alexander’s two eldest children (Zal and Harris) “reveal tremendous qualities” during their final weeks and months of remaining alive; both actors do an impressive job conveying their resignation and sorrow (and fans of Airplane! will be especially gratified to see that young Harris really should be remembered for more than just being asked about his knowledge of grown men and Turkish baths). Alexander, meanwhile, clearly deserved her Oscar nomination (seconded by Peary) as the children’s grieving yet resilient mother, who does what she can to provide for her family in the face of unspeakable devastation and loss.

What’s most impressive (and effective) about Testament is its quiet authenticity. As the film opens, rather than presenting an idyllic, pastoral representation of life in small-town America, we see a typically hectic morning in the Wetherly household, with Alexander frantically trying to get her kids ready to leave for school, and Harris feeling slightly put-upon by his over-eager dad, who insists on challenging him to a rigorous, semi-competitive bike ride early each morning; meanwhile, Alexander and Devane quibble (she pours dry cereal over his head in frustration when he refuses to take time for breakfast), but they make up with one another later that night in a way that demonstrates the ultimate solidity of their marriage. The time Littman takes to show us all of these seemingly mundane details results in an even more powerful sense of shock and loss when “there is a flash in the sky from [a] bomb” — a moment that “should give every viewer a sick feeling in the stomach”, given that “a nuclear explosion cannot be reversed”.

Community relations are quickly strained, and we see the effect on more than just Alexander’s family. Kevin Costner and Rebecca De Mornay, for instance, play a young couple whose newborn quickly becomes a casualty of the blast; meanwhile, a Japanese-American gas station owner (Mako) with a mentally retarded son (Gerry Murillo) suddenly finds himself in an unexpected position of power, given his access to valuable fuel. Other than a few such contextualizing scenes, however (including the casual arrival of a neighborhood boy whose parents have disappeared, and who comes to live with Alexander’s family), the story remains heavily focused on Alexander’s attempts to help her own family survive. To that end, viewers have debated the ultimate wisdom of her character’s choice to simply stay put in her house, waiting for what seems like the inevitable, painful death of herself and her loved ones; many wonder why she doesn’t attempt to flee with her family to a different, less exposed location (which is what Costner and De Mornay’s characters do). Yet I find her decision eminently logical and realistic; in the face of ultimate powerlessness, it makes sense to stay in a comfortable and “known” location, and the film is no less potent or revealing because of this pivotal narrative choice.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jane Alexander as Carol Wetherly
  • Ross Harris as Brad Wetherly
  • Roxana Zal as Mary Liz Wetherly
  • A truly chilling, haunting screenplay

Must See?
Yes, most definitely — but get ready to be devastated.

Categories

Links: