FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
As the American Civil War comes to an end, an unscrupulous business man (Charles Bickford) facilitates the sale of repeating rifles to Native Americans, leading to an uprising. Soon Wild Bill Hickok (Gary Cooper) and his pal Buffalo Bill Cody (James Ellison) find themselves on the frontlines once again, with Cody leaving behind his pregnant new wife (Helen Burgess), and Hickok’s secret love for Calamity Jane (Jean Arthur) causing unexpected challenges.

Genres:

• Anthony Quinn Films
• Cecil B. DeMille Films
• Charles Bickford Films
• Gary Cooper Films
• Historical Drama
• Jean Arthur Films
• Native Americans
• Westerns

Review:
Cecil B. DeMille directed this “highly fictionalized” (!!!) account of various Wild West figures coming together in improbable ways, all culminating in the infamous death of a lead character. Refreshingly, it’s greedy white military industrialists rather than the Native Americans themselves who are positioned from the beginning as the true “bad guys”, making it a little easier to watch the elaborately staged warfare and killing of Indians. Unfortunately, the creative mixing of storylines and characters focuses too much on the love lives of the leads, with Hickok and Calamity Jane’s would-be romance coming across as particularly strained; we’re meant to root for them as they tentatively make their feelings known to one another, but Jane is put in an egregiously unfair position at one point, forcing her to choose between love and loyalty.

Cody’s beautiful young wife is nicely played by 19-year-old Helen Burgess, whose sudden death from pneumonia the following year ended her chances for a promising career.

Watch for Anthony Quinn in a thankless role as a Cheyenne Indian.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Victor Milner’s cinematography
  
  
• Impressive historic sets and art direction
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• AFI Catalog Entry
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
During the French and Indian War, Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy) enlists an aspiring painter (Robert Young) and his buddy (Walter Brennan) into his elite militia with the goal of seeking revenge on local Abenaki Indians — but their trek is long and arduous, and soon the men must find creative ways to survive.

Genres:

• Historical Drama
• King Vidor Films
• Military
• Native Americans
• Robert Young Films
• Spencer Tracy Films
• Survival

Review:
It’s a challenge to watch this impressively filmed Technicolor wartime adventure tale, knowing that we’re watching a reasonably authentic recreation of the ferocity wrought upon Native populations (albeit often in retaliation for similar treatment) during our quest for continental dominance. While the decimation of various tribes of American Indians — either through warfare or ongoing deculturalization — is now well-known, this MGM production spares no details in sharing how ruthless our tactics were — and how thoroughly we dehumanized and humiliated the tribes we were fighting against. Tracy is stoic but not overly sympathetic in the unenviable role of a tough-as-nails commander directing his men to keep going no matter what, fueling their motivation through no-holds-barred tales of brutal Indian tactics.

As DVD Savant describes it:

[Young] listens as Rogers encourages veterans to tell the new soldiers about Indian atrocities — raping women, chopping men up a bit at a time, braining babies, the works. One description of a prisoner having his ribs severed and pulled out one by one is almost too awful to picture, and seems unthinkably strong for a studio film from 1940. Rogers refers to these outrages to inspire maximum savagery from his troops.

Indeed, retaliation against Indians in this film is relentless, with no room at all for humanization or empathy. As Tracy attempts to help Young survive after he’s been wounded and can barely walk, he yells out, “Bring that [nameless] little Indian boy over here”, then says to the boy (without a hint of irony), “From now on your name is Billy”.

While it’s true, as DVD Savant points out, that “the movie is very successful in communicating the idea that just a few miles past New York, the green forests stretch beyond the horizon, a seemingly limitless frontier for expansion” (the cinematography throughout this location-shot flick is impressive), the film is a hard one to stomach, and will likely only be of interest to those curious about Hollywood’s early depictions of historical American events.

Note: The film’s title is an infamous misnomer, given that the crew never embarks on its quest to find a “northwest passage”; the title was intended for a sequel that never emerged.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Beautiful Technicolor cinematography
  
• Fine recreation of historic sites
  

Must See?
No; this one is only must-see for the curious.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A linguistics professor (Leslie Howard) bets his friend (Scott Sunderland) he can transform a Cockney-speaking flower girl (Wendy Hiller) into a refined “lady” thoroughly enough to convince high society she’s “authentic” — but if he does, what then?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Class Relations
• Leslie Howard Films
• Mentors
• Play Adaptation
• Wendy Hiller Films

Review:
This Oscar-nominated adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s much produced play — itself based on an ancient Greek myth about a sculptor who falls in love with his own statue — is infinitely more palatable than the insufferable Broadway musical remake, My Fair Lady (1964). As co-directed by Anthony Asquith and Leslie Howard — and produced by Gabriel Pascal, who would direct Shaw’s Major Barbara (1941) three years later — it’s less a cross-class romance than a satire of upper-class society, exposing the vacuity of those who believe it’s critically important to know the “appropriate” way to address various members of the nobility, and who care far more about status than character. Howard is convincing as conceited prig Professor Higgins, and Hiller’s Eliza Doolittle holds her own very nicely; she’s played with great empathy and nuance in a memorable screen debut. The film never feels stage-bound, instead making creative use of cinematography and angles — and at just 96 minutes long (almost half that of My Fair Lady‘s 170 minutes), it only drags a teeny bit towards the end, as Eliza attempts to let Higgins know how much he’s disappointed her, and they eventually (improbably) end up with one another.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Wendy Hiller as Eliza
  
• Wilfrid Lawson as Mr. Doolittle
  
• Harry Stradling’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a fine adaptation of a classic play. Listed as a film with Historical Relevance in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Genuine Classic
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Q Network
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
When the headstrong daughter (Wendy Hiller) of a millionaire weapons manufacturer (Robert Morley) becomes a major in the Salvation Army, she makes it her life’s mission to save souls, and quickly secures a fiance (Rex Harrison) willing to do anything for her love. Meanwhile, Morley struggles over the question of who to leave his inheritance to.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deborah Kerr Films
• Inheritance
• Missionaries and Revivalists
• Play Adaptations
• Rex Harrison Films
• Robert Morley Films
• Robert Newton Films
• Wendy Hiller Films

Review:
After producing a successful cinematic version of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (1938), Austro-Hungarian Gabriel Pascal directed this adaptation of Shaw’s 1905 play about an idealistic young woman grappling with issues of identity, morality, compromises, and love — specifically, whether poverty is worse than munitions, and whether it’s better to feed the poor or provide them with work. Such universal concerns remain as relevant today as ever, and fans of Shaw’s work will likely be quite happy with this outing (though it’s not a personal favorite of mine). Hiller is note-perfect in the title role; Harrison is less annoying than usual as her sincere yet opportunistic suitor; Morley (only four years older than Hiller) is suitably pompous as heir to a dubious fortune; Robert Newton is on hand to provide plenty of nastiness a la his later characters in Oliver Twist (1948) and Treasure Island (1950); playwright Emlyn Williams has fun as shyster “Snobby Price”; and Deborah Kerr gives a sweet and compelling supporting performance in her film debut.

Note: Major Barbara is historically notable for having been filmed during the Blitz, yet still coming across as polished and professional.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine performances by the entire cast
  
  
  
  
• Atmospheric cinematography by Ronald Neame
  
• Impressive sets
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look for its historical relevance. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A cowardly actor (Bob Hope) afraid of loud noises does everything he can to avoid enlisting in the army, including wooing the beautiful daughter (Dorothy Lamour) of a crusty colonel (Clarence Kolb) — but he nonetheless soon finds himself in basic training with his buddies (Eddie Bracken and Lynne Overman).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Actors and Actresses
• Bob Hope Films
• Cowardice
• Dorothy Lamour Films
• Military
• Romantic Comedy
• World War II

Review:
This box office hit was squarely designed to capitalize both on the success of the Road To… series (Hope’s character at one point says, “She looks like Dorothy Lamour, with clothes on.”) and current-day angst over involuntary enlistment during the earliest stages of American engagement with World War II.

It was quite well received — Bosley Crowther wrote a glowing review for the New York Times, referring to it as “a lively slapstick farce in which the gags are beautifully abundant” — but it hasn’t aged all that well. Hope’s cowardly character quickly (instantly, actually) grates on one’s nerves, and his treatment of Lamour is so utilitarian from the get-go that we have a hard time rooting either for him or for them as a couple. You can skip this one unless you’re a diehard fan of Hope or Lamour.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Not much, unless this is your cup of tea.

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
When an eager journalist (Wayne Morris) who has arranged to meet a glamorous actress (Lya Lys) at her apartment arrives to find her dead, he promptly calls his newspaper to file the story — but the police find Lys perfectly alive, and Morris is fired. Morris consults his doctor-friend (Dennis Morgan) for help in investigating the mystery, and they meet both Morgan’s mentor (John Litel) and Litel’s assistant (Humphrey Bogart), who are conducting experiments related to blood types, and are eager to connect with Morgan’s colleague (Rosemary Lane) — who happens to have the exact blood type they’re in search of.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Amateur Sleuths
• Humphrey Bogart Films
• Journalists
• Mad Doctors and Scientists
• Murder Mystery

Review:
This atmospherically shot B-flick — directed with panache by newbie Vincent Sherman — is best known for featuring Humphrey Bogart in his only “horror flick” role, but it’s actually more of a pseudo-comedic mad-doctor amateur-sleuth genre-mash. In just 62 minutes, we’re taken quickly through a tale of journalistic gusto, mysteriously disappearing bodies, vampiric visages, a pet monkey, a fuzzy white bunny, and a monocled scientist …

SPOILERS HERE

… willing to revive a doctor put to death for — no kidding — experimentally starving a baby (!). Bogart’s white hair-streak is clearly intentionally reminiscent of Elsa Lanchester in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and while he wasn’t at all thrilled with his role here, he actually does a decent job — much better than his supporting turn as a Mexican bandit in Michael Curtiz’s Virginia City the same year. There’s some amusingly droll dialogue (“His interest in blood… almost equals my own.”), and Sherman’s visual flair is consistently engaging. While this isn’t high art by any means — and the narrative has plenty of holes — it’s an enjoyable low-budget film and worth a look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Highly atmospheric cinematography and sets
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a nifty little B-flick. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down to 6th title)
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
Near the end of the Civil War, a Union prisoner (Errol Flynn) and his compatriots (Alan Hale and Guinn “Big Boy” Williams) escape from captivity and head by stagecoach to Virginia City, Nevada, where they intend to secretly interrupt the conveyance of silver to the Confederate Army. On their way there, Flynn falls in love with a woman (Miriam Hopkins) who turns out to be not only a dance hall singer, but a Confederate accomplice whose lover (Randolph Scott) is heading the entire silver-transport affair.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Hale Films
• Civil War
• Errol Flynn Films
• Historical Drama
• Humphrey Bogart Films
• Love Triangle
• Michael Curtiz Films
• Miriam Hopkins Films
• Randolph Scott Films
• Spies

Review:
Michael Curtiz and Errol Flynn made no less than 12 films together between 1935 and 1941 — among them Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Dodge City (1939), The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), The Sea Hawk (1940), Santa Fe Trail (1940), and this “based on real events” historical drama with fictional characters and an unconvincing plot. New York Times’ reviewer Frank Nugent referred to it somewhat uncharitably as a “two-hour Blitzkrieg upon the human nerves”, which isn’t really fair, given that it’s finely mounted and photographed (by Curtiz’s regular DP Sol Polito). However, it has the dubious distinction of featuring Humphrey Bogart in one of his worst mis-castings ever (as a Mexican bandit):

… and a miserable-looking Hopkins giving a surprisingly subdued and depressed performance.

Thankfully, Scott and Flynn acquit themselves well (despite the fact that Flynn was originally slated to perform Scott’s role).

Watch for an interestingly filmed “cameo” by President Lincoln (Victor Kilian) in the film’s improbable ending.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Sol Polito’s atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look by Curtiz fans.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A French Foreign Legionnaire (Ronald Colman) in Algeria falls in love with a visiting noblewoman (Rosalind Russell), who is equally smitten with him. Meanwhile, Colman’s commander (Victor McLaglen) is jealous and upset that his girlfriend “Cigarette” (Claudette Colbert) has also fallen for Colman, and attempts to send Colman into numerous dangerous situations.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Claudette Colbert Films
• Historical Drama
• Love Triangle
• Military
• Ronald Colman Films
• Rosalind Russell Films
• Victor McLaglen Films

Review:
Modern film fanatics will likely be unfamiliar with the bestselling 1867 novel upon which this romantic desert war flick is based, though it was popular enough to have undergone numerous adaptations before this one. Unfortunately, the story hasn’t aged well at all, coming across these days as simply an orientalist excuse to mount elaborate battle scenes in what the opening title cards tell us is “North Africa at the turn of the century — a land of eternal mystery — primitive, barbaric, the camel train its only link with the outer world.” The lead actors all try their best with the material they’re given, but they’re merely caught up in a standard cross-class love quadrangle which can clearly only end one way. The location shooting (in Arizona) is quite effective, but otherwise this one is only must-see viewing for completists of Colman, Colbert (who replaced both Simone Simon and Barbara Stanwyck in her role), Russell, or McLaglen.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Effective cinematography
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• AFI Catalog Overview