FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
An embittered Confederate veteran (Rod Steiger) who refuses to concede the reintegration of the United States of America meets an aging Oglala scout (Jay C. Flippen) and joins his tribe, making peace with its leader, Blue Buffalo (Charles Bronson), and living with a Sioux woman (Sara Montiel) and her adopted ward (Billy Miller). However, when a U.S. captain (Brian Keith) — with assistance from the man (Ralph Meeker) Steiger shot but didn’t kill on the last day of the Civil War — leads a group of soldiers in building a fort nearby, and the Sioux want to attack, Steiger’s loyalties are once again tested.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Brian Keith Films
• Charles Bronson Films
• Cross-Cultural Romance
• Native Americans
• Ralph Meeker Films
• Rod Steiger Films
• Sam Fuller Films
• Veterans
• Westerns

Review:
Writer-director Sam Fuller’s tenth feature film was this “revisionist western” in which taken-for-granted tropes of westerns and American history are turned on their head. From the opening scenes, we’re asked to relate to a protagonist (known simply as “O’Meara”) who — even against his mother’s advice — refuses to concede the Confederacy’s loss, thus becoming a man without a nation:

Given that O’Meara’s sentiments reflect those of many in our nation today, this feels like an especially intriguing and worthy tale to pay attention to as it unfolds. Like Kevin Costner’s Lt. John Dunbar in Dances With Wolves (1990), O’Meara attempts to escape through assimilation with the Sioux, after “winning” a contest from which the title takes its name:

(Note, however, that Chris Smallbone of NativeAmericans.co.uk informs us this supposed custom — of an arrow being shot out onto the land, and the accused person attempting to outrun his assailants once he reaches the arrow — was made up by Fuller.)

The thrust of the film centers on whether and/or how O’Meara will eventually reintegrate into his original society, and what tensions will inevitably emerge during this transition. While it’s jarring seeing Charles Bronson as a Sioux chief:

… and hearing (uncredited) Angie Dickinson’s voice dubbing Montiel as “Yellow Moccasin”:

… it’s still refreshing to see what appear to be authentic Native Americans hired as extras.

This compact, character-driven tale remains worth a look despite its limitations — but be forewarned there’s quite a bit of violence, including yet another supposed Sioux custom (skinning alive) that isn’t authentic.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine cinematography and direction
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as yet another unique outing by Fuller. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Native American.co.uk Review
• TCM Article
• TV Guide Review (spoilers alert)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
When an offshore oiling entrepreneur (Jimmy Stewart) and his friend (Dan Duryea) receive funding and support from an investor (Jay C. Flippen), they arrive in a Louisiana fishing town ready to employ its citizens — but a local patriarch (Antonio Moreno) is not happy about Duryea dating his daughter (Marcia Henderson), and Henderson’s sister (Joanne Dru) is cynical about outsiders interfering with their way of life.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Anthony Mann Films
• Dan Duryea Films
• Fishermen
• Jimmy Stewart Films
• Joanne Dru Films
• Oil Drilling

Review:
Jimmy Stewart’s fourth film with director Anthony Mann — after Winchester ’73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), and The Naked Spur (1953) — was this less engaging widescreen adventure flick. It takes place off the Gulf of Mexico, but otherwise follows the general themes of a western, with “boats and oil standing in for horses and guns” — or, as Stuart Galbraith IV proposes in his review for DVD Talk, miners and cattlemen replacing oilers and fishermen in an ongoing battle for land (water) use. Unfortunately, it’s especially challenging to relate to Stewart’s character given what we now know about the toxic outcome of mining the Earth’s resources; hearing him make speeches like the following to Dru, we can’t help cringing:

“Maybe you don’t know how oil was formed millions of years ago: it was formed by things dying and being held in the Earth. Well now, if I can reach down there, and bring up the results of all those millions of years, and make them work for the present and the future, then I’ve done something, haven’t I?”

Yes, Jimmy — you certainly are doing something, though we don’t blame you because you don’t yet understand the impact.

At any rate, the storyline is a rather standard melodrama of romantic entanglements:

… culture clashes, high hopes, and competing priorities, with a group of people at one point deciding to band together in a “Let’s put on a show!” type of endeavor (which conveniently leads to said “show” happening just in the nick of time).

This film will likely be of interest to fans of Mann’s work, but isn’t a must-see entry in his impressive oeuvre.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• William Daniels’ cinematography
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• DVD Talk Review

Synopsis:
A former officer during World War II (Richard Burton) reflects back on his experiences as a castaway with an incognito nun (Joan Collins), a racist white man (Basil Sydney), and a black purser (Cy Grant). Will the quartet be able to survive together given racial tensions and Burton falling in love with the unattainable Collins?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Flashback Films
• Joan Collins Films
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Nuns
• Race Relations and Racism
• Richard Burton Films
• Survival

Review:
DVD Savant accurately describes this flashback-driven wartime melodrama as “colorful, reasonably well acted and almost completely unsatisfying”. The central conceit — that Collins won’t reveal her true identity as a nun to Burton — makes no sense whatsoever, driving a storyline that keeps us increasingly frustrated as we wonder why (oh, why) she doesn’t just tell him already. No — because then there would be no tension at all, other than the secondary subplot about Sydney’s toxic racism driving him to literally want to snuff out Grant. Ew.

Meanwhile, the characters won’t stop referring to each other by silly nicknames: Biscuit (Burton), Seawife (a.k.a. “mermaid”) (Collins), Bulldog (Sydney), and Number 4 (Grant) (great way to dehumanize him even further…). There’s really nothing here worth watching, other than the beautiful scenery; one imagines Peary included it in GFTFF because young Collins is as gorgeous as ever:

… and we know he had a childhood crush on her from seeing her bare midriff in Land of the Pharaohs (1955).

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine location footage
  

Must See?
Nope; definitely feel free to skip this one.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down to 2nd review)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
On a trip to inform General Custer that the Sioux are waiting to attack, a captain (Lloyd Bridges) whose wife (Marie Windsor) is having an affair with one of his men (John Ireland) struggles with various leadership decisions.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cavalry
• Historical Drama
• John Ireland Films
• Lloyd Bridges Films
• Marie Windsor Films
• Marital Problems
• Native Americans
• Westerns

Review:
Loosely based on the real-life exploits of Captain Frederick K. Giddleren (here Capt. Phillip Donlin) and Lt. Charles Larin (here Lt. John Haywood) of the United States Cavalry — who tangentially supported Lt. General Custer in the Battle of the Little Bighorn — this western puts a love triangle between Donlin (Bridges) and Haywood (Ireland) front and center, opening with a supposedly private rendezvous between Ireland and Bridges’ wife (Windsor) that’s interrupted by Bridges’ emergence from the shadows:

We learn that tensions between these two men will understandably be running high, making an already dangerous and uncertain military mission even more fraught. Is Bridges assigning tasks to Ireland out of spite and anger — or is he keeping military protocol and best practices at the forefront of his decision making?

The bulk of the film is spent exploring issues of trust and leadership, as the cavalry members ride their horses over rocky terrain and worry about Sioux hiding behind every boulder.

The most interesting scenes show how the men negotiate positions and tasks — i.e., Major Grierson (Reed Hadley) attempting to volunteer to “ride point” (“I’m not a brave man, but the others have got a reason for getting back to the fort”) :

… and the eventual resolution of the situation by “cutting high card to see who rides out in front”, with various men either eager to “win” or relieved to draw low:

Indeed, once the romantic subplot involving Windsor is (mostly) cut from the storyline, things shape into a reasonably taut tale of doomed heroism and duty (we already know things won’t end well for this crew). Fans of American military historical dramas and/or westerns may be curious to check this one out, though it’s not must-see viewing for all.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Ernest Miller’s cinematography
  
• Several unexpectedly powerful moments
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look if you enjoy westerns. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Talk Review

Synopsis:
When a young man (James Carroll Pickett) living in the country brings home four stranded women, they are brutally murdered, and Billy (Pickett) is accused by his father (Charles Kissinger) of committing these acts. Heading out into town, Billy meets a kind waitress (Sherry Steiner) who brings a friend (Madelyn Buzzard) with her for a visit at Billy’s home the following weekend — but will the pair be safe with a murderer on the loose?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Father and Child
• Horror Films

Review:
Loosely inspired by the Ed Gein murders, this grindhouse debut by low-budget director William Girdler — who died at age 30 in a helicopter crash over the Philippines after completing his final film, The Manitou (1978) — is thankfully a snoozy bore rather than a shockingly crude bloodfest (as one might imagine from the sensationalist title).

Given that Girdler was hugely inspired by Hitchcock (Psycho in particular), the killings are over mercifully quickly, with more emphasis placed on character and psychological motivations — though even that is in short supply. We know Kissinger is gaslighting his son into believing he murdered his own mother years ago, and that he can’t be trusted around any women:

… but we’re unsure what this will lead to for Billy. Instead, we simply watch him heading into town:

… listening to a band perform, meeting a nice girl (Steiner):

… and making inane small-talk while wandering around.

Eventually, of course, Steiner’s life will be put at risk — and when we learn that she’s bringing a friend (Buzzard) with her to Billy’s house, we know exactly what will happen.

At least Buzzard is given a moment in the spotlight, speaking directly to the camera about her deceased veteran-husband. At any rate, we eventually learn the film’s “big reveal” — nothing surprising, yet with an added twist — and all is wrapped up in a tidy horror-film bow. Fans of this type of fare know who they are, but this one certainly isn’t must-see for all film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:
Ummm….

Must See?
Nope.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
While fighting in North Africa under a firm but kind sergeant (Thomas Mitchell), a milquetoast writer (Henry Fonda) reflects on his love for a beautiful woman named Valentine (Maureen O’Hara), who is simultaneously being courted by a wealthy suitor (Reginald Gardner). When Fonda must suddenly take on additional leadership responsibilities, he finds himself developing new confidence and skills — but will this translate to his romantic endeavors once he’s back home?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Flashback Films
• Henry Fonds Films
• Maureen O’Hara Films
• Soldiers
• Thomas Mitchell Films
• World War II

Review:
It’s difficult to know why Peary included this earnest but heavy-handed wartime propaganda film in his GFTFF, other than the star-power provided by Fonda and O’Hara:

Much time is spent in early scenes showing Fonda flashing back to missed opportunities with O’Hara, as Gardner conveniently sweeps in and obnoxiously tries to woo her away.

Once we finally understand the thrust of the drama that will take place on the desert (i.e., Mitchell’s mentorship of Fonda):

… we feel a little more engaged — but not much, since we’re relatively certain how things will turn out, more or less. I recommend watching Sahara (1943) instead for a much better wartime movie taking place in the same setting.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• A few effectively filmed moments (i.e., the men enjoying passing around a final tiny cigarette and giving it a burial in the sand)
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a diehard Fonda or O’Hara fan.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Talk Review
• TV Guide Review (spoilers alert)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A budding artist (Dean Stockwell) with an alcoholic father (Trevor Howard) and an emotionally manipulative mother (Wendy Hiller) rejects an offer from an elderly art patron (Ernest Thesiger) to move to London to study, instead romancing his local sweetheart (Heather Sears), then moving on to an affair with a married-but-separated suffragette (Mary Ure) at his new workplace.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Artists
• Coming-of-Age
• Dean Stockwell Films
• Donald Pleasence Films
• Sexuality
• Trevor Howard Films
• Wendy Hiller Films

Review:
Cinematographer Jack Cardiff helmed this beautifully shot (by DP Freddie Francis) adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s semi-autobiographical 1913 novel. Unfortunately, while the location shooting in Nottingham, England is lovely:

… the storyline implies a prior familiarity with the novel, given that characters are only loosely fleshed out and there is clearly much more to their situations than we’re privy to here. The morbidly unhealthy relationship between Hiller and Stockwell, for instance, hints at deep dysfunction but never goes beyond her surface comments to him:

Meanwhile, Stockwell’s artistic aspirations are hardly given any screentime, and his rejection of Thesiger’s offer in favor of staying at home to care for his mother doesn’t make sense given all her talk about wanting him to go and make something of himself. (We can surmise that she’s actually quite happy to keep him pinned to her apron-strings, but this isn’t made sufficiently evident.)

The same is true for the brief glimpses we see of Sears interacting with her puritanical, sex-shaming mother (Rosalie Crutchley):

Indeed, Sears’ interesting character is not given enough weight or time, with the majority of romantic scenes involving Ure instead:

The film’s best performance comes from Oscar-winning Howard as Stockwell’s mercurial coal-mining father — a man who takes great pride in his career, and erupts in alcoholic rage when his value and status are questioned. We can sense how infuriating it is for him to be married to Hiller, yet how deeply he relies on her for companionship and care.

Note: Watch for Donald Pleasence in a small role as Stockwell’s new employer:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Trevor Howard as Walter Morel
  
• Freddie Francis’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• TV Guide Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
When a bored, recently fired young man (Marc Michel) spots his childhood crush (Anouk Aimee), he arranges to have dinner with her, not realizing that she’s still infatuated with the long-gone father of her young son (Gérard Delaroche). Meanwhile, Lola (Aimee) has a friendly fling with an American soldier named Frankie (Alan Scott), and Roland (Michel) is invited to dinner at the home of a widow (Elina Labourdette) and her teenage daughter (Annie Duperoux) who are borrowing his English dictionary.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Anouk Aimee Films
• French Films
• Jacques Demy Films
• Love Triangle
• Single Mothers

Review:
Jacques Demy’s feature debut introduces us to a character who plays a small but pivotal role in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964): Catherine Deneuve’s older suitor, “Roland Cassard” (Marc Michel). In this earlier film, Roland is posited as someone who is literally seeking his way in the world, and believes he’s landed on a solution by serendipitously meeting up with Aimee:

However, despite a seemingly endless series of coincidences and connections, life is far from straightforward for any of the characters in this film, who all hold on to secret desires and hopes.

As pointed out in the video essay “Capturing Coincidences and Mirroring Characters”, Demy’s screenplay is meticulously crafted to show thematic and emotional parallels between various individuals — from young Cecile (Duperoux), like Aimee, being an aspiring dancer who falls for a blond American sailor (Scott) at the age of 14:

… to Roland’s belief that his first love (Aimee) must somehow be destined for him. Given that Aimee’s character comes across at first like an irresponsible single mom nurturing unrealistic expectations (she appears to be deliberately mimicking Marilyn Monroe at times, and even references her explicitly):

… it’s pleasantly surprising how we gradually come to root for Lola, and learn that she actually considers being a “good mom” at the top of her list of favorite personal traits (despite leaving her 7-year-old son regularly at home alone! oh, those were different times):

Indeed, we remain invested until the very end in how things will turn out for each of these characters — and when a mysterious figure from early in the film suddenly shows up again at the end, we cheer for life’s occasional serendipities.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Raoul Coutard’s cinematography
  
  
• Good use of natural sets in Nantes, France
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a compelling debut film by a beloved director.

Categories

• Important Director

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• “Capturing Coincidences and Mirroring Characters” Video Analysis

Synopsis:
When an ex-con (Debra Paget) married to a rancher (Anthony Quinn) learns that her former lover (Ray Milland) — who she took the rap for — has arrived with money in a briefcase and is hoping to get across the border to Mexico, she persuades her husband to help; but their situation quickly becomes even stickier once Milland shows his truly sociopathic nature.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Allan Dwan Films
• Anthony Quinn Films
• Cat-and-Mouse
• Debra Paget Films
• Ex-Cons
• Love Triangle
• Ranchers
• Ray Milland Films

Review:
In his review for DVD Talk, Stuart Galbraith IV accurately describes this late-career outing by workhorse director Allan Dwan as “a compact little thriller that’s part modern-day Western, part-quasi noir,” a “violent and nasty… three-character show where no one is entirely innocent or unrepentantly evil.” Although it takes a little while for the storyline to get underway, once it does we find ourselves unexpectedly involved in how things will resolve — especially given that Quinn and Paget’s motivations continue to shift. Does Quinn really love Paget, or just feel sorry for her? Does Paget still really love Milland, or will she see the folly of that stance?

Milland, meanwhile, is a straight-up baddie who we watch simply to see what self-centered moves he’ll make next.

Watch for Harry Carey, Jr. in a small but pivotal role as a goldminer who helps the trio out — at a cost.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Anthony Quinn as Ben Cameron
  
• A surprisingly compelling screenplay
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look if you’re in the mood for this kind of flick.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Talk Review
• TV Guide Review (major spoiler alerts)

Synopsis:
In 1920s rural Australia, a sheep drover (Robert Mitchum) and his wife (Deborah Kerr) and teenage son (Michael Anderson, Jr.) settle down briefly to shear sheep, but Kerr is eager to secure a more permanent homestead. Will she and her nomadic husband be able to come to an agreement about where to go next?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Australian Films
• Deborah Kerr Films
• Fred Zinneman Films
• Glynis Johns Films
• Marital Problems
• Peter Ustinov Films
• Robert Mitchum Films
• Westerns

Review:
Three years after co-starring in John Huston’s Heaven Knows, Mr. Allyson (1957), Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr re-teamed for this comedic “meat pie western”, directed by Fred Zinneman and set in southern Australia (with ample evidence of on-location shooting). At the heart of the storyline, other than showcasing the sheep-driven existence of most of the characters:

… are the significant tensions between Mitchum and Kerr in terms of how they want to live out the rest of their lives. While Kerr accepted Mitchum’s wanderlust in their younger years, her desires have since shifted (though not her desire for Mitchum himself):

It’s realistic but painful at times to watch this likable pair work through their challenges, especially given Mitchum’s troubles with gambling. Meanwhile, the leisurely, episodic narrative shows us what life is like for those existing in this milieu — including the family’s British colleague (Peter Ustinov) romancing a local barmaid (Glynis Johns):

… their employer’s classy wife (Dina Merrill) wondering if she fits in:

… a young wife (Lola Brooks) hoping to have her husband (John Meillon) nearby when she gives birth:

… and Mitchum’s willingness to go up against a veteran sheep shearer in a betting contest:

Meanwhile, Anderson, Jr. discovers his love of horse racing:

… which leads to the film’s climactic albeit somewhat ambiguous ending. While this amiable movie isn’t must-see viewing for all film fanatics, it’s worth a look for the lead performances, and for those interested in Australia’s depiction on screen by Hollywood.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Deborah Kerr as Ida Carmody (nominated as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars)
  
• Jack Hildyard’s cinematography
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look for Kerr’s performance. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• TV Guide Review
• TCM Article
• South Australian Movie Review (Video)