FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A cowardly nebbish (Harold Lloyd) is assisted by his feisty grandma (Anna Townsend) in gaining the courage to pursue a murderous tramp (Dick Sutherland), and fight against his lifelong rival (Charles Stevenson) for the hand of his sweetheart (Mildred Davis).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Comedy
• Love Triangle
• Silent Films

Review:
Harold Lloyd’s first full-length film holds up surprisingly well today. In addition to plenty of amusing sight gags, it possesses a cohesive narrative, a sympathetic protagonist, and a refreshing character arc, as “Grandma’s boy” shifts from a simpering ninny to a self-confident young man worthy of our admiration. Apparently Charlie Chaplin was a fan of this film, noting, “It is one of the best constructed screenplays I have ever seen on the screen.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Anna Townsend as Lloyd’s concerned grandma
  
• The amusing Civil War “flashback” scene
  
• Clever inter-titles: “One of those slow towns where the Tuesday morning Express arrives Wednesday afternoon. If Monday’s train gets out of the way.”
  

Must See?
Yes. While not as famous as either Safety Last! (1923) or The Freshman (1925), this holds interest as Lloyd’s first full-length film. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A klutzy aspiring actor (Harold Lloyd) is accidentally summoned to Hollywood for a screen test, where he fails to impress producers but falls in love with an actress (Constance Cummings) and one of the characters she plays.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aspiring Stars
• Comedy
• Harold Lloyd Films
• Hollywood
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities

Review:
While Movie Crazy is generally regarded as one of Harold Lloyd’s best “talkies”, it’s ultimately a disappointment. Despite several amusing sequences, the screenplay as a whole rambles on for too long, diverging from its initial premise and suddenly shifting into a rather ordinary tale of mistaken identities and romantic difficulties. This is not one of Lloyd’s greatest films, and falls flat in comparison with his earlier masterpieces. Watch The Milky Way (1936) instead if you’re curious to see Lloyd in a reasonably successful non-silent film.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Lloyd’s bungled attempts at being an extra
  
• The extended “magician’s coat” sequence
  
• Constance Cummings as Lloyd’s dual love interests
  

Must See?
No; this one ultimately isn’t must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A private (Jerry Lewis) and a sergeant (Dean Martin) deal with bureaucracy and mishaps in a WWII army training camp.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Dean Martin Films
• Jerry Lewis Films
• Military
• Play Adaptation
• World War II

Review:
Based on a play by James Allardice, At War With the Army was Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin’s first starring vehicle together, and thus holds a unique place in film history.

On its own merits, it comes across as a mildly amusing — though often stagy — spoof of military rigmarole, along the lines of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Lewis and Martin don’t have enough screen time together, but each performs admirably on his own: Lewis is as wacky as ever:

and Martin is appropriately suave. An ongoing sub-plot about a beautiful but dumb pregnant woman (Jean Ruth) trying to get ahold of former-flame Martin leads to a satisfying, unexpected conclusion.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jerry Lewis as Alvin Korwin
  
• A clever skewering of military bureaucracy and hierarchies
  

Must See?
No, though it’s notable for its historical status as Lewis and Martin’s first film together.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Gene Kelly directs three wordless dance vignettes: in “Circus”, Pierrot (Gene Kelly) longs for a beautiful dancer (Claire Sombert) who is already in love with an acrobat (Igor Youskevitch); in “Ring Around the Rosy”, a bracelet passes hands from a wealthy husband (David Paltenghi) to many others, including a prostitute (Tamara Tournanova); and in “Sinbad the Sailor”, a sailor (Kelly) and a young genie (David Kasday) dance with animated figures from the Far East.

Genres:

• Dancers
• Ensemble Films
• Gene Kelly Films
• Love Triangle
• Sailors

Review:
This creative undertaking by Gene Kelly — a movie told just through dance and music, with no words — was filmed in 1952, but didn’t reach audiences until 1957, when it failed to recoup expenses; today, it comes across as a reasonably enjoyable experiment. The middle segment — “Ring Around the Rosy” (likely inspired by Ophuls’ La Ronde) — is especially well-done, and moves along at a fast clip. The first vignette — “Circus” — is the artiest, and the least interesting story-wise (though the dancing and visuals are arresting). The final story — “Sinbad the Sailor” — is guaranteed to appeal to those who enjoy live action-animation combos, but its decidedly “Orientalist” bent is dated and mildly offensive. Ultimately, this one is not for all tastes. but remains worthy viewing by all film fanatics as a unique entry in cinematic history.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Gene Kelly as Pierrot
  
• The enjoyable middle sequence
  
• David Kasday as the Little Sailor/Genie
  
• Creative choreography throughout

Must See?
Yes, simply for its historical relevance.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A suicidal concert pianist (Ann Todd) — raised by a demanding, enigmatic guardian (James Mason) — is hypnotized by a psychiatrist (Herbert Lom) who hopes to uncover the root of her neurosis.

Genres:

• Flashback Films
• James Mason Films
• Mental Breakdown
• Mind Control and Hypnosis
• Musicians
• Psychotherapy

Review:
The Seventh Veil was immensely popular upon its release, with British audiences attending screenings in droves. Today, it comes across as somewhat dated (the theme of hypnosis as a magic cure for one’s ills is especially laughable), but remains a compelling, almost compulsively watchable tale. Unfortunately, Todd was much too old to be playing her character at the age of 14 (a younger look-alike should have been used), though she’s fine in later scenes.

Meanwhile, Mason is as dark and brooding as always, and perfectly cast.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An intriguing, well-told story of dominance, love, and psychosis
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, due to its historic popularity.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An art teacher (Suzy Kendall) at a girls’ school in London catches a glimpse of the man who raped two of her students and murdered one of them. With the help of Detective Velyan (Frank Finlay) and a reporter (Freddie Jones), she sets a trap to try to bait the killer.

Genres:

• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Murder Mystery
• Rape

Review:
This British slasher flick (known as The Creepers in the U.K.) will primarily be of interest to either fans of the genre, or those who enjoy watching teenage girls in skimpy school uniforms. While it’s difficult to guess who the real killer is here, it’s also difficult to care much one way or the other. Kendall is a beautiful leading lady, but she’s given such unoriginal scenes to walk through that she doesn’t leave much of an impression.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A competent, if uninspired, tale of killer-baiting
  

Must See?
No. Though Peary lists this as a Cult Movie in the back of his book, it’s certainly not must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
Famed playwright John Cassidy (Rod Taylor) fights for Ireland’s freedom, falls in love with a bookstore employee (Maggie Smith), and sees his first plays performed.

Genres:

• Biopics
• Flora Robson Films
• Ireland
• John Ford Films
• Maggie Smith Films
• Michael Redgrave Films
• Rod Taylor Films
• Writers

Review:
Many viewers seem to agree that this biopic of playwright Sean O’Casey‘s early years (based on his memoirs) features fine performances, but fails to cohere as a compelling narrative. Taylor is wonderful as Cassidy (why was O’Casey’s name changed?), and it’s nice to see young Maggie Smith playing a romantic role; however, the story as a whole simply isn’t all that interesting. As noted in The New York Times’ review, the screenwriters never establish what Cassidy is fighting for in the earliest scenes — and, though we can fill in the blanks with our own knowledge of Irish history, it’s frustrating to be given so little information. The most interesting scenes in the film come at the very end, when Cassidy is forced to face the fact that Ireland isn’t ready for the type of “raw” story he wants to tell.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Rod Taylor’s powerful performance as John Cassidy
  
• Maggie Smith as Cassidy’s love interest, Nora
  
• A fine depiction of turn-of-the-century Ireland
  

Must See?
No. Despite Taylor’s strong performance, this is not must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An embittered postman (Eli Wallach) plots to kidnap a beautiful young woman as a statement to the world. Instead, he accidentally kidnaps an unhappily married housewife (Anne Jackson) who has dreams of re-entering college, and can relate to Wallach’s frustration.

Genres:

• Black Comedy
• Eli Wallach Films
• Kidnapping
• New York City
• Play Adaptations

Review:
Eli Wallach shines in this delightful black comedy, based on a one-act play (“The Tiger”) by Murray Schisgal. Director Arthur Hiller maintains a fast pace throughout, and does an excellent job opening up the play to include New York settings. The performances all around are wonderful (it’s too bad Jackson, Wallach’s real-life wife, never became a big film star — she’s wonderfully droll here), and there are countless laugh-out-loud moments. Unfortunately, however, the fact that Wallach’s character is essentially a rapist on the prowl for female “meat” adds an unsavory tinge to the entire affair; while the comedic tone of the film makes it clear that he’ll never succeed in his goal, it’s nonetheless disturbing to try to empathize with a protagonist who has rape on his mind.

P.S. Could this be the first cinematic portrayal of someone “going postal”?

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Eli Wallach as the cynical, existential postman
  
• Anne Jackson as Gloria Fiske
  
• Ben’s upstairs neighbor (Bibi Osterwald) concerning herself with appearances while her leg is stuck through the floor
  
• Gloria’s bizarre meeting with a university admissions director (played by Charles Nelson Reilly)
  
• Good use of New York settings
  
• Murray Schisgal’s irreverant screenplay

Must See?
No, but it’s highly recommended.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
During World War II, French-born Odette Sansom (Anna Neagle) volunteers for the British resistance movement in France, and meets fellow spy Peter Churchill (Trevor Howard).

Genres:

• Biopics
• Peter Ustinov Films
• Resistance Fighters
• Spies
• Trevor Howard Films
• World War II

Review:
Made just five years after her release from Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, this biopic of famed British spy Odette Sansom suffers from an overly pedantic and adulatory approach to its subject matter. While Sansom is certainly deserving of the highest praise for her sacrifice (which included enduring heinous torture by the Gestapo), her story as told here lacks punch; the first half is especially slow and confusing. Perhaps most disturbing, however, is Neagle’s faux French accent, which is less than convincing — indeed, the issue of language in general is handled clumsily in the film, with an occasional (distracting) “A bien tot” or “Ja voll, Herr Kommandant” thrown into the middle of the primarily English dialogue. Performances by the supporting cast are perfunctory at best; notable exceptions are Trevor Howard and Peter Ustinov as Sansom’s compatriots.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Trevor Howard as Peter Churchill
  
• Peter Ustinov as Arno
  
• Effective cinematography
  
  
• The powerful (mercifully oblique) torture scenes
  

Must See?
No. This film will primarily be of interest to WWII history buffs.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review