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Synopsis:
A sexy, domineering teen (Barbara Hershey) befriends two boys (Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison) while vacationing on Fire Island, and soon the three are inseparable. But when a plump outsider named Rhoda (Catherine Burns) tries to become part of their social circle, an unexpected tragedy occurs.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Barbara Hershey Films
• Coming-of-Age
• Frank Perry Films
• Friendship
• Love Triangle
• Teenagers
• Vacation

Review:
Before their separation in 1970, husband-and-wife team Frank and Eleanor Perry collaborated on a handful of compelling, hard-hitting films, including David and Lisa (1962), 1963’s Ladybug, Ladybug (not a Peary title, but worth seeking out), The Swimmer (1968), and Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970). This film — another literary adaptation, from a novel by Evan Hunter (author of Blackboard Jungle) — ties neatly into their recurring concern with misfits and group dynamics, providing an unabashed critique of a world where sensitive individuals must learn to survive and thrive while confronting the darker, harsher forces of life.

Last Summer features fine, natural performances by all four of the teenage leads: Hershey (impossibly young) is perfectly cast as a sexy, intelligent, potentially disturbed young woman who is 100% confident in the sway she holds over her horny adolescent male friends; Thomas and Davison — one sensitive, the other brash and cocky — are well balanced against each other, and are entirely believable as buddies; and Burns — whose performance garnered her an Academy Award for best supporting actress, yet whose film career never really took off after this — is both brave and vulnerable in a complex role.

At first, Last Summer appears primarily concerned with the bantering dynamics between Hershey, Thomas, and Davison; one fully expects the souring of their sex-tinged love triangle (who will “win” Hershey’s affections?) to dominate the script, but it doesn’t — instead, a new character (Burns) conveniently emerges on the scene, providing a catalyst for change. Eleanor’s screenplay does an excellent job depicting both the normal anxieties of adolescence — a preoccupation with sexuality; a burning desire to fit in; a need to fill long summer hours with fun and excitement, including experimentation with drugs — and signs that this particular coming-of-age tale possesses more than a hint of pathology.

An opening subplot about a wounded seagull which Hershey and her friends nurse back to health parallels the second half of the film, in which Burns is the “fragile” outsider whose well-being rests on the graces of her fickle new friends. Other hints of dysfunctional power dynamics are given along the way as well, including the trio’s measured reaction to Burns’ story about her mother’s accidental death by drowning, and the way in which they treat a kind Puerto Rican (nicely played by Ernesto Gonzalez) who Hershey has located through a computer dating service. The film’s infamously shocking ending (don’t read too many comments on IMDb, or you’ll immediately encounter spoilers) takes a while to absorb, and — particularly in its R-rated edited version (the film originally received an X rating) — isn’t entirely clear. Nonetheless, it somehow serves as a fitting capstone to this undeniably disturbing and memorable tale, which is difficult to watch but remains a powerful viewing experience.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Barbara Hershey as Sandy
  
• Catherine Burns as Rhoda
  
• Richard Thomas as Peter
  
• Bruce Davison as Dan
  
• Ernesto Gonzalez in a bit part as Anibal, Rhoda’s blind date
  
• Excellent use of Fire Island locales
  
• A remarkably effective — albeit deeply disturbing — tale of teenage friendship, sexuality, and power plays
  

Must See?
Yes, for Burns’ Oscar-nominated performance (and the other performances as well).

Categories

• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• NY Times Original Review
• TV Guide Review
• Q Network Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A young officer (Russell Wade) on a freighter begins to suspect that his captain (Richard Dix) is a megalomaniac psychopath — but no one else on board believes him, and soon he finds that his own life is at risk.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Lawrence Tierney Films
• Mark Robson Films
• Mental Illness
• “No One Believes Me!”
• Psychological Horror
• Val Lewton Films

Review:
This recently rediscovered RKO horror film — directed by Mark Robson — remains one of B-producer Val Lewton’s least heralded yet most enjoyable thrillers. Taking place largely on board a freighter (a setting which effectively heightens the sense of claustrophobia felt by Wade, the film’s protagonist), The Ghost Ship features an unusual variation on the theme of power-mad leaders who must be stopped before they spiral out of control. In this case, Captain Stone — nicely played by former matinee idol Richard Dix, of Cimarron (1931) fame — has developed a cult of personality which prevents most of his crew members from questioning his authority:

Indeed, even Wade is initially swayed by Stone’s warped reasoning that being responsible for his men’s lives also gives him the power to take those lives from them. Scene after powerful scene — Stone being too frightened to perform an appendectomy on an ailing sailor (Paul Marion), yet justifying his fear as reasonable afterwards:

… a sailor (Lawrence Tierney) being “accidentally” crushed to death by a heavy chain after daring to stand up to Stone — leave audience members frightened yet genuinely confused about what to believe, particularly after watching a later scene in which Dix confesses (to a sympathetic female friend, played by Edith Barrett) his own fears about slowly going mad.

In addition to its tightly scripted screenplay (by Donald Henderson Clarke, based on a story by Leo Mittler), The Ghost Ship is full of Lewton’s characteristic visual and literate sensibility. Nicholas Musuraca’s atmospheric black-and-white cinematography neatly evokes a noirish world on board the ship, while the casting of Skelton Knaggs as Finn the Mute — an omniscient voice-over narrator who plays an unexpectedly important role near the end of the film — serves as an inspired homage to the “chorus” of classical theater.

As with all of Lewton’s other RKO “horror” films, The Ghost Ship‘s title is actually a bit of a misnomer, given that no ghosts ever appear — but Lewton’s unique gift lay in creating highly memorable, low-budget thrillers which relied more on the power of psychology than on overt chills, and this film is no exception. Film fanatics should definitely check it out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Richard Dix as mad Captain Stone
  
• Russell Wade as Tom Merriam
  
• Nicholas Musuraca’s atmospheric cinematography
• The infamous “chain death” scene
  

Must See?
Yes, as one of Lewton’s most effective thrillers.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down to 5th review)
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A drifter (James Cagney) and his hotheaded new acquaintance (John Derek) are mistaken for train robbers, and shot by a local sheriff (Ray Teal). With the help of a Swedish farmer (Jean Hersholt) and his daughter (Viveca Lindfors), Cagney nurses Derek — whose leg has been crippled — back to health. Soon Cagney is elected as the town’s new sheriff, with Derek as his deputy; but Derek’s resentment over being injured for life leads to unexpected consequences.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ernest Borgnine Films
• Falsely Accused
• Jimmy Cagney Films
• Nicholas Ray Films
• Sheriffs
• Westerns

Review:
Made in between his better-known Johnny Guitar (1954) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Nicholas Ray’s Run for Cover clearly conveys Ray’s interest in (and sympathy for) societal misfits, as well as his concern with Freudian “parental” relations.

The opening scenes of the film — following the memorable, rousing title song — are particularly strong, as Cagney and Derek’s friendship is established, only to be rudely disrupted by the impatience of vengeance-hungry townsfolk, who are reminiscent of the frightening posse in William Wellman’s The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).

Once this initial drama of mistaken identity is resolved, Cagney’s character gradually emerges as a more complex figure than we expected, and we watch with interest as he takes on a deeply paternal interest in the bitter young Derek.

Unfortunately, the script begins to unravel towards the end, as events (and character motivations) take some unexpected turns, and Cagney’s relationship with Derek takes a turn for the melodramatic. Equally disappointing is Cagney’s budding romance with Lindfors, who — despite her fine performance — is hampered by the relentless stereotypes (loyal daughter, admiring wife) afforded in her role.

Despite its flaws, however, Run For Cover remains a worthy western to check out once, and will be of special interest to fans of Ray’s unique oeuvre.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The exciting opening sequence
  
• Good use of New Mexico locales for outdoor scenes
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A former gunnery sergeant (Alan Arkin) is kidnapped by two free-spirited young women — Frisbee (Mackenzie Phillips) and Mackinley (Sally Kellerman) — but soon finds himself enjoying a road trip across America with them.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Arkin Films
• Comedy
• Harry Dean Stanton Films
• Kidnapping
• Misfits
• Road Trip
• Sally Kellerman Films

Review:
More than three decades before his Academy Award-winning role in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Alan Arkin starred in another quirky road flick — this oddly titled, little-seen character study about several misfits (there are no twins, or gold dust) searching for love and adventure across America. More a series of vignettes than a cohesive narrative, Rafferty is at its best when it focuses on the developing relationships between the three protagonists, who each undergo personal changes throughout the course of the film. While Phillips’ performance consists primarily of pouting (at least during the first two-thirds of the story):

Arkin is as excellent as always, and Kellerman truly shines as “Mackinley”, a free-spirited hippie whose casual fling with Rafferty (Arkin) immediately disrupts the trio’s dynamic.

The best (and funniest) scene involves Phillips conning a naive soldier (a perfectly-cast Charles Martin Smith) out of his money and engagement ring:

While one initially feels sorry for Smith, he soon shows his snivelly true colors. The bittersweet ending implies a sequel, which obviously never happened; Rafferty basically went under the radar, and has remained there since.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Alan Arkin as Rafferty
  
• Sally Kellerman as Mackinley
  
• Charles Martin Smith as a naive soldier duped by Frisbee
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look simply for the performances. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
During World War Two, a teen (Tara MacGowran) befriends the daughter (Marie-Theres Relin) of a German refugee (Klaus Barner) and French actress (Claudine Auger).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coming-of-Age
• Friendship
• Jenny Agutter Films
• World War Two

Review:
Based on a novel by Janice Elliott, this WWII-era coming-of-age film features fine, authentic performances by Tara MacGowran and Marie-Theres Relin (Maria Schell’s daughter) in the lead roles, but fails to sufficiently develop any of its intriguing narrative strands. Relin’s dilemma — how will she cope with being a German teenager in England during the thick of war? — is a compelling one, but is quickly (and inexplicably) dropped as she and MacGowran become friends. Indeed, the entire film essentially consists of teasers: while there are hints of a possible lesbian attraction between the two girls, this is never explored; Jenny Agutter makes a brief appearance as a sympathetic teacher, but her role is minimal at best, and makes no real difference to the storyline; Cassie Stuart (looking like Aileen Quinn in Annie with her bouncy blonde head of curls) is appropriately giddy as a boy-crazy classmate, but her eventual dilemma (you guessed it) is both cliched and simply yet another distraction. Ultimately, Secret Places is too narratively scattered to recommend for anyone other than diehard coming-of-age fans.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Marie-Theres Relin as Laura
  
• Tara MacGowran as Patience
  
• Jenny Agutter in a bit role as one of the girls’ teachers
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for the performances. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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