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Synopsis:
A trio of burglars — Dan Duryea, Peter Capell, and Mickey Shaughnessy — steal a valuable necklace from a mansion that’s been cased by Duryea’s sexy young ward, Gladden (Jayne Mansfield). But when a corrupt cop (Stewart Bradley) puts the moves on lovesick Gladden in an attempt to secure the jewels for himself, Duryea and his accomplices find themselves on the lam in Atlantic City.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dan Duryea Films
• Heist
• Jayne Mansfield Films
• Thieves and Criminals

Review:
Director Paul Wendkos’ feature debut was this gritty noir thriller, based on a novel by David Goodis. While The Burglar is primarily notable for featuring Jayne Mansfield in one of her first screen appearances (playing a love-starved young sexpot named, of all things, Gladden), the film stands on its own as an enjoyable, tautly directed crime flick. The expertly shot and edited opening heist sequence gets things off to a rollicking start, and while the narrative occasionally meanders (particularly during the awkward flashbacks to Duryea’s past), the story remains compelling throughout. The performances are all fine, with the always “durable” Dan Duryea effective in the lead, and Peter Capell as his eager accomplice providing a nice counterpoint to Duryea’s staunch stoicism.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Dan Duryea as Nat
  
• Jayne Mansfield as Gladden:
  

  “Look at me — I’m a woman! I’m flesh and blood, and I got feelings!”

  

• Peter Capell as Baylock, the gang’s enthusiastic jewelry expert
  
• The tense opening heist sequence
  
• Atmospheric direction and editing by Wendkos
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended, particularly for noir fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• Film Noir of the Week
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
In 1932, 79-year-old Alice Hargreaves (Coral Browne) — the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland — arrives in New York for a centennial celebration with her assistant (Nicola Cowper), and finds herself besieged by both reporters (including the unscrupulous Peter Gallagher, who pursues Cowper) and marketers. Meanwhile, she reflects back on her days as a young girl (Amelia Shankley), when Carroll (Ian Holm) was clearly besotted with her.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Fantasy
• Flashback Films
• Historical Drama
• Ian Holm Films
• Writers

Review:
This most unusual little film — scripted by Dennis Potter — relies on a real life event (Alice Hargreaves’ visit to America in 1932) to fictionally explore the confusing — though literarily fruitful — relationship between besotted Lewis Carroll and young Alice, and the ramifications this famous association continued to have on grown Alice’s life. The “modern-day” section of the film pokes satirical fun at the culture clash between dignified Hargreaves (Browne is simply wonderful) and media-happy, Depression-era America, which is more than willing to exploit Hargreaves’ presence — with pay — for the sake of marketing her “image” like mad (this part of the story is reminiscent of Chaplin’s King in New York from 1957). Less successful is the budding romance between a mercenary ex-journalist (Peter Gallagher) and Hargreaves’ young assistant (Nicola Cowper), though Cowper (who sadly never made a big name for herself) more than holds her own in scenes which don’t do her justice.

Ultimately, however, Dreamchild is most concerned with Alice’s reflective flashbacks to her childhood, which — often in nightmarish ways — occasionally merge with the present in her aging mind. Ian Holm perfectly embodies the conflicted Reverend Dodgson (pen name “Lewis Carroll”), effectively conveying his desire for Alice while remaining sympathetic to viewers, given that he never acts upon his pedophilic urges. Amelia Shankley as young Alice is an excellent counterpart to Holm, showing clear evidence of the insouciant charm Carroll fell in love with, while (we sigh with relief) making the boundaries between the two of them perfectly clear. Equally impressive — though not given enough screen time — are Jim Henson’s Wonderland creations, including Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter, Gryphon, Caterpillar, and Dormouse. They’re both magical and frightening, a perfect manifestation of Carroll’s twisted imagination and Alice’s lifelong interpretation of them, and they add just the right surreal touch to this highly unique film.

Note: Click here and here to read more about Carroll’s real-life relationship with young Alice and her sisters.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Coral Browne as Alice Hargreaves
  
• Ian Holm as Lewis Carroll
  
• Nicola Cowper as Mrs. Hargreave’s naive young assistant
  
• Amelia Shankley as “young Alice”
  
• Jim Henson’s muppetlike creatures of Wonderland
  

Must See?
Yes, as a little-seen “good show”, and for Browne’s performance.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Moria Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Time Out Capsule Review