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Month: August 2021

Good Earth, The (1937)

Good Earth, The (1937)

“What good is this land now?”

Synopsis:
A poor Chinese farmer (Paul Muni) married to a former slave (Luise Rainer) flees with his starving young family to a city in the south, where they beg for food until Rainer stumbles upon a bag of jewels during a revolutionary uprising. Once they’re back on their now-thriving farm, Muni requires his grown sons (Keye Luke and Roland Lui) to work for him, and falls for a beautiful singer (Tilly Losch) who he takes as his second wife — but will Rainer approve of this arrangement?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • China
  • Farming
  • Luise Rainer Films
  • Paul Muni Films
  • Survival

Review:
MGM’s big-budget adaptation of Pearl S. Buck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was Irving Thalberg’s final production before his death at age 37, and remains notable for netting Luise Rainer her second Best Actress Oscar in a row (after her Oscar-winning performance in The Great Ziegfeld). Peary doesn’t review The Good Earth in his GFTFF, but he does mention it in his Alternate Oscars, where he writes somewhat snarkily that Rainer stands out as the film’s “only Chinese peasant with an Austrian accent”, and concedes she “did a satisfactory job, even if she spent too much of the picture using a stunned, hurt expression, as if she’d just stubbed her toe and didn’t want anyone to know her pain” (ouch!).

I’m more impressed by Rainer’s expressive performance than Peary; while her accent is disconcerting (and of course it’s terribly disappointing that Chinese-American actors weren’t assigned to the lead roles), Rainer otherwise fully embodies this put-upon yet resilient female who is ultimately responsible for her family’s success, albeit behind the scenes.

In a particularly harsh and haunting scene, Rainer acknowledges that another baby has been born (we hear its cry), but insists to Muni that they are able to travel — and nothing more is seen or heard of this latest child. Muni is occasionally hammy but mostly effective as her husband, who seems like a straight-up fellow until he (predictably) falls for the wiles of a seductive singer (Losch):

Perhaps most impactful, however, is the realistic depiction of a family driven to literally eat dirt in order to stave off hunger:

These early sequences of gut-wrenching poverty make it easier to understand how and why Communist revolution was seemingly inevitable in China:

Karl Freund’s cinematography is noteworthy throughout, and the ending locust swarm sequence is particularly well handled:

This adaptation remains worth a look, and should be seen once by all film fanatics simply for Rainer’s performance.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Luise Rainer as O-Lan
  • Paul Muni as Wang Lung
  • Karl Freund’s cinematography
  • The impressive locust sequence

Must See?
Yes, once, for Rainer’s performance and several highly effective sequences. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, The (1960)

Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, The (1960)

“You tell them the bullet hasn’t been made that can kill me.”

Synopsis:
With help from his sickly brother Eddie (Warren Oates), petty thief Jack “Legs” Diamond (Ray Danton) rises in the ranks of Prohibition-era gangsterhood to become a bodyguard for Arnold Rothstein (Robert Lowery), and marries his loyal girlfriend (Karen Steele) to prevent her from testifying against him in court. Soon Legs is showing the true colors of his ruthless nature, stopping at nothing to gain dominance and believing he’s invincible.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Budd Boetticher Films
  • Dyan Cannon Films
  • Gangsters
  • Warren Oates Films

Review:
After making a string of westerns with Randolph Scott in the late 1950s, Budd Boetticher agreed to make this noir-ish tale of infamous gangster “Legs” Diamond, so-called either because of his dancing skills or because of how quickly he could outrun the law. Unfortunately, there’s little to authentically interest us in this loathsome fellow, who was notorious for being unliked by everyone around him:

Steele has a thankless role as the woman he manages to keep by his side:

… while Elaine Stewart is allowed a bit more agency as a moll seduced by Legs:

… and Oates is sympathetic in a too-small role as Legs’s brother:

Watch for Dyan Cannon in a tiny spot as bubble-headed “Dixie”:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Lucien Ballard’s cinematography

Must See?
No; you can skip this one. Listed as a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Hucksters, The (1947)

Hucksters, The (1947)

“A huckster is a peddler — you know, a hawker.”

Synopsis:
A reluctant but skilled radio ad man (Clark Gable) considers getting himself hired by Mr. Kimberly (Adolphe Menjou) of Kimberly Advertising Agency, who lives in fear of upsetting his biggest and pickiest client, Mr. Evans (Sydney Greenstreet); meanwhile, Gable kindles a romance with a beautiful nightclub singer (Ava Gardner) while also falling for a lovely but prim war widow (Deborah Kerr) who is at the center of one of their company’s campaigns.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Adolphe Menjou Films
  • Advertising
  • Ava Gardner Films
  • Clark Gable Films
  • Deborah Kerr Films
  • Edward Arnold Films
  • Keenan Wynn Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Sydney Greenstreet Films
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Deborah Kerr made her American film debut in this adaptation of a novel by Frederick Wakeman, Sr. skewering the radio advertising industry. Unfortunately, there’s not much of note in the screenplay, which is primarily focused on Gable’s WWII-veteran not wanting to simply sell his soul to his job (presumably after living through the horrors of the war). Greenstreet is painted in broad strokes as a bullying Big Man with awful ideas:

… and Gable’s love triangle between Gardner and Kerr doesn’t hold much weight:

You can skip this one unless you’re a fan of the big-name stars.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine cinematography

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a diehard Gable, Gardner, or Kerr fan. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

“I’m not worried — not with Captain Hornblower!”

Synopsis:
During the Napoleonic Wars, British Captain Horatio Hornblower (Gregory Peck) delivers arms to a megalomaniac South American dictator (Alec Mango), then learns that Britain is newly allied with Spain; meanwhile, he picks up and falls in love with a beautiful passenger, Lady Barbara (Virginia Mayo) — but can their romance last beyond the seas?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • At Sea
  • Christopher Lee Films
  • Gregory Peck Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Raoul Walsh Films
  • Romance
  • Virginia Mayo Films

Review:
Raoul Walsh directed this Technicolor adaptation of C.S. Forester’s popular Horatio Hornblower novels, featuring a courageous and skilled seaman who handles all military and personnel crises with aplomb, yet harumphs with nerves when faced with a beautiful woman. Peck and Mayo make a lovely couple (naturally):

… and it’s enjoyable seeing Mayo emerge as a worthy and invaluable member of the crew. However, it’s the naval adventures that most interested viewers will be curious to watch, and there’s plenty of that.

Unfortunately, Mango’s role in dark-face as the deranged “El Supremo” is demeaningly stereotypical, and truly cringe-worthy:

Thank goodness he doesn’t take up too much screentime. Meanwhile, watch for young Christopher Lee in one of his first supporting roles, playing a Spanish captain.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine Technicolor cinematography

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

Links:

I Remember Mama (1948)

I Remember Mama (1948)

“He paid with far, far better things than money.”

Synopsis:
A writer (Barbara Bel Geddes) reflects on growing up with her two sisters (Peggy McIntyre and June Hedin), her brother (Steve Brown), her father (Philip Dorn), and her firm but loving Norwegian-American mother (Irene Dunne) in early 20th century San Francisco.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Flashback Films
  • George Stevens Films
  • Irene Dunne Films
  • Strong Females
  • Writers

Review:
George Stevens directed this lovely, lyrical adaptation of John Van Druten’s 1944 stage play, based on Kathryn Forbes’ fictionalized memoir Mama’s Bank Account (1943). Dunne apparently worked with a coach for two months to perfect her accent, and it pays off handsomely: as a Norwegian-American who grew up with first-generation immigrant parents, I can attest to the authenticity of her speech. Indeed, Dunne’s Oscar-nominated performance as Martha Hanson is among her best: in each scene, we see how much care she’s put into thinking through this tenacious woman’s decisions:

… showing us how calculating (literally) Martha is, in the best sense of the word — from the opening scene in which she carefully determines how much money their family has left to spend after accounting for all expenses:

… to a sequence in which she figures out how to protect her bullied sister (Ellen Corby) — hoping to marry the town mortician (Edgar Bergen) — from merciless teasing by their mean older sisters (Hope Landin and Edith Evanson):

… to her ruse for sneaking into the hospital to visit her child:

… and her ability to leverage her cooking expertise and people skills as she helps Bel Geddes gain support and advice from a renowned female author (Florence Bates):

While the primary focus is (appropriately) on “Mama”, this long-ish film (it clocks in at over 2 hours) shows us a wide variety of memorable anecdotes and characters from Bel Geddes’ past — including a lodger (Cedric Hardwicke) who pays for his room and board through absorbing read-alouds:

… her sister Dagmar’s (June Hedin’s) travails with a tom cat named “Uncle” Elizabeth:

… and, most especially, her overbearing Uncle Chris (Oskar Homolka):

… whose household presence and failing health take up a bit too much screentime, though this is forgivable precisely because he had such an outsized influence in her memory. Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography is stellar throughout, with especially impressive use made of location shooting to portray life in early 20th century San Francisco:

This films remains very much worth a visit, particularly for Dunne’s stand-out performance, but also simply as an overall “good show”.

Note: It was jarring for me to hear Homolka’s Austrian accent passed off as Norwegian, though I’m sure most audiences won’t mind.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Irene Dunne as Mama
  • Barbara Bel Geddes as Katrin
  • Fine supporting performances

  • Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography
  • Excellent use of location shooting in San Francisco

Must See?
Yes, for Dunne’s Oscar-nominated performance, and as a worthy film.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Nicholas Nickleby (1947)

Nicholas Nickleby (1947)

“My nephew will find it harder than he thinks to get the better of me.”

Synopsis:
After the death of his father, Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond) arrives with his mother (Mary Merrall) and sister (Sally Ann Howes) to seek support from his cold, money-lending Uncle Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke). Hardwicke finds Howes a job as a seamstress, and Bond a position as a tutor in a boarding school run by a sadistic headmaster (Alfred Drayton) and his wife (Sybil Thorndike), where Bond befriends and rescues a crippled young man named Smike (Aubrey Woods). While rooming with his uncle’s sympathetic clerk (Bernard Miles), Bond struggles to find steady work and falls for a beautiful young woman (Jill Balcon) whose gambling father (George Relph) is indebted to Hardwicke.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Charles Dickens Adaptations
  • Class Relations
  • Historical Drama

Review:
Helmed by Brazilian-born director Alberto Cavalcanti, this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ third novel — after The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist — was released in between David Lean’s Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). While it doesn’t reach the narrative heights of either of those classics, it possesses enough historical charm and atmospheric cinematography to remain of note on its own merits:

It’s chock-a-block full of characters from Dickens’ 952-page serialized novel:



… with Cavalcanti and screenwriter John Dighton admirably keeping us engaged and able to follow along as Bond and his loved ones encounter a seemingly endless string of bad apples:



… with a few decent ones tossed in here and there:


Note: Cavalcanti was clearly a genius of sorts, originally studying law, architecture, and interior design before embarking on his career in cinema, primarily making his mark with this and “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy” sequence from the omnibus film Dead of Night (1945).

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Cedric Hardwicke as Uncle Ralph
  • Gordon Dines’ cinematography


Must See?
No, but it’s probably must-see for Dickens fans.

Links:

Mayerling (1936)

Mayerling (1936)

“Ever since I met you, nothing makes sense.”

Synopsis:
When the bored crown prince of Austria (Charles Boyer), who has been forced by his father (Jean Dax) into a marriage of convenience with a Belgian princess (Yolande Laffon), meets a beautiful young baroness (Danielle Darrieux), he becomes completely enamored and stops his womanizing ways — but does the couple have any chance at a life together?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anatole Litvak Films
  • Charles Boyer Films
  • Danielle Darrieux Films
  • French Films
  • Royalty and Nobility
  • Star-Crossed Lovers
  • Womanizers

Review:
Based on the real-life murder-suicide pact of Crown Prince Rudolf and his lover Mary Freiin von Vetsera — known as the Mayerling Incident given its occurrence at a hunting lodge in Mayerling, Austria — this star-crossed romance by director Anatole Litvak features stunning young Danielle Darrieux (just 19 at the time) as a woman faithful and loving enough to capture even the most jaded playboy-heart.

Perhaps most interesting early on are scenes of some of the entertainment opportunities Boyer attends to pass his time — including a surreal slap-dance-fight (?):

… and “swan ringing” at a carnival (done to impress Darrieux):


The remainder of the storyline is fairly standard doomed-romance fare, though the ending provides more of a jolt than expected — and it’s all very atmospherically filmed.

Note: It was interesting reading up on Boyer after watching this film; he married the love of his life in 1934 and committed suicide two days after her death in 1978. So much for his movie-star persona as a womanizing Frenchman! (He was also multi-lingual — speaking not only English and French but German, Spanish, and Italian — and had a degree in philosophy from the Sorbonne.)

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the leads
  • Atmospheric cinematography

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

Links:

Night Passage (1957)

Night Passage (1957)

“You belong to the railroad, and it belongs to you.”

Synopsis:
A former railroad employee (James Stewart) is hired by his old boss (Jac C. Flippen) to ensure the most recent payroll for his employees isn’t stolen by gang members Whitey (Dan Duryea), the Utica Kid (Audie Murphy), and their compatriots. During his job, Stewart rescues a boy (Brandon De Wilde) from a man (Robert J. Wilke) abusing him, and De Wilde helps Stewart by hiding the money; but when Flippen’s wife (Elaine Stewart) is kidnapped and held hostage, the situation gets even more complicated.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Audie Murphy Films
  • Dan Duryea Films
  • James Stewart Films
  • Thieves and Criminals
  • Westerns

Review:
After starring in five fine westerns with director Anthony Mann — Winchester ’73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Naked Spur (1953), The Far Country (1954), and The Man from Laramie (1955) — Jimmy Stewart took the lead in this Technirama western with plenty of color, but decidedly less narrative depth (Mann declined to direct). Stewart purportedly really wanted a chance to sing and play the accordion, which he does:

… though it’s not really clear how he makes a viable living this way; and you’ll be seriously irritated by the repetitive songs that pop up again and again (“You Can’t Get Far Without a Railroad” and “Follow the River”). Meanwhile, real life WWII-hero Audie Murphy doesn’t make much of an impression as a (sort of) baddie with a surprising twist to his background:

… and other supporting characters are either shallowly limned (i.e., where exactly did De Wilde’s character come from?):

… and/or annoying (i.e., Ellen Corby’s shrewish housewife and Dan Duryea’s whiny outlaw):


You can skip this one unless you’re curious.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • William Daniels’ Technirama cinematography

Must See?
No; only Jimmy Stewart fans need to check this one out.

Links:

Halls of Montezuma (1951)

Halls of Montezuma (1951)

“The question is, where are the rockets — where?”

Synopsis:
On a Japanese-held island in the Pacific during World War II, a migraine-suffering lieutenant (Richard Widmark) relies on a corpsman (Karl Malden) to supply him with pain meds as he leads a group of Marines — including his former student (Richard Hylton), handsome Private Coffman (Robert Wagner), disturbed Private ‘Pretty Boy’ (Skip Homeier), alcohol-loving Private Slattery (Bert Freed), Sergeant Zelenko (Neville Brand), young Private Whitney (Martin Milner), Pigeon Lane (Jack Palance), and a Japanese-speaking British linguist (Reginald Gardiner) — on a mission with a journalist (Jack Webb) to discover where Japanese rockets are stashed.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Jack Palance Films
  • Jack Webb Films
  • Karl Malden Films
  • Lewis Milestone Films
  • Neville Brand Films
  • Richard Widmark Films
  • Robert Wagner Films
  • Soldiers
  • World War II

Review:
Twenty-one years after helming All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) — and six years after making A Walk in the Sun (1945), set in WWII-era Italy — Lewis Milestone directed this Technicolor homage to both the bravery of U.S. Marines and (once again) the insanity of war. Because this particular company is tasked by their Lt. Colonel (Richard Boone) to take Japanese prisoners rather than kill them, we get to see a slightly different approach to their attack — one which includes interrogating Japanese soldiers who possess diametrically different ideas about the value of life and death.

Widmark is well-cast as a no-nonsense yet caring leader who suffers in private, but keeps going, while British character actor Gardiner gives perhaps the most nuanced supporting performance as a keep-calm-under-all-circumstances translator who plays a pivotal role in the proceedings (and won’t give up his fancy cigarette holder, thank you very much):

Meanwhile, we see many other familiar Hollywood faces showing up, including handsome Wagner in his first credited film role (albeit only for a short while):

… Brand playing a tough sergeant (but not a bad guy):

… and Palance playing (no kidding!) a nice guy who faces a sincerely tough dilemma:

Made with extensive cooperation from the U.S. Marine Corps (and purportedly used as a recruitment tool), the film looks as authentic as can be, with California’s Camp Pendleton turned into a convincing simulation of a tunnel-ridden island in the Pacific:

Less successful are the flashback sequences littering the film’s first half-hour:


… though these thankfully come to an end, thus allowing us to become fully immersed in the exciting action at hand.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Richard Widmark as Lieutenant Anderson
  • Reginald Gardiner as Sgt. Randolph Johnson
  • Fine Technicolor cinematography

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

Links:

Wake Island (1942)

Wake Island (1942)

“Boys, the honeymoon’s over. From now on you’re Marines.”

Synopsis:
Just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Major Caton (Brian Donlevy) arrives at the Pacific atoll of Wake Island ready to command his forces. On the island, he finds a pair of trouble-making privates — Doyle (Robert Preston) and Randall (William Bendix) — with Randall eager to head home. However, Japanese aggression quickly ensues, and it’s up to everyone on the island — including a fighter pilot (Macdonald Carey) whose wife was killed on Pearl Harbor, and a grumpy military contractor (Albert Dekker) — to pitch in and help.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Brian Donlevy Films
  • Military
  • Robert Preston Films
  • William Bendix Films
  • World War II

Review:
John Farrow directed this harrowing but inspirational look at the events that transpired on tiny Wake Island just as the U.S. formally entered World War II. With the first draft of the screenplay completed before we knew what the ultimate outcome was, this film remains an impressive attempt to show what Americans early in the war effort were up against. As described in TV Guide’s review:

The heroic but doomed defense of Wake Island against the Japanese in the opening days of WWII provided the basis for this slightly fictionalized, immensely popular flag-waver that garnered several Academy Award nominations. A perfect example of Hollywood’s contribution to the war effort, the film demonstrated that even in defeat there was victory, and provided needed inspiration for a nation reeling from loss after loss at the hands of the Japanese.

The fictionalized characters bear enough resemblance to who and what was actually on the island — a garrison of 449 Marines, a handful of sailors, a few Wildcat fighter planes, and 1,221 civilian construction workers — to make the narrative feel plausible, and the cinematography and battle sequences are impressive. This one isn’t must-see, but remains worth a look for its historical relevance as a morale booster.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Brian Donlevy as Major Caton
  • Atmospheric cinematography
  • Powerful fighting sequences

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a one-time look and of course is must-see for fans of WWII-era battle films.

Links: