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Synopsis:
While preparing for and then living through his 36-hour flight from New York to Paris, Charles Lindbergh (Jimmy Stewart) reflects back on his past as a barnstormer and mail carrier.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Airplanes and Pilots
• Billy Wilder Films
• Jimmy Stewart Films

Review:
Billy Wilder directed this adaptation of Charles Lindbergh’s Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir about his 1927 trans-Atlantic flight, which (much to Lindbergh’s consternation) starred 47-year-old Stewart as the 25-year-old aviator. Nothing is mentioned at all about Lindbergh’s infamously toxic political beliefs, leaving us instead with simply a tale of a determined young man who won’t give up on his dreams — which, as we know, he achieved. The film’s intrinsic excitement comes first from seeing Lindbergh’s attempts to secure financing for a custom-built plane:

… and then ample footage of his harrowing flight, which included falling asleep numerous times, accidentally allowing ice to build on the wings, and losing navigational abilities, among many other challenges:

Along the way, we see Lindbergh chatting with a rogue fly stuck in the cockpit:

… and watch some of flashbacks that filled his mind during the long hours of the flight — including reflecting back on his friendship with a fellow pilot (Murray Hamilton):

… making a living as a barnstormer:

… and teaching an incompetent yet perennially cheerful priest (Marc Connelly) how to fly.

While this well-crafted aviation flick isn’t must-see viewing, it’s worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Jimmy Stewart as Charles Lindbergh
  
• Good attention to period detail
  
• Fine cinematography by Robert Burks and J. Peverell Marley
  

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
Shorty after legendary outlaw Jesse James (Robert Wagner) and his brother Frank (Jeffrey Hunter) carry out an infamous bank raid in Northfield, Minnesota, their dying mother (Agnes Moorehead) reflects back on her son’s progression from a put-upon Confederate war veteran to one of the most wanted men in America.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Agnes Moorehead Films
• Biopics
• Flashback Films
• Hope Lange Films
• John Carradine Films
• Nicholas Ray Films
• Outlaws
• Robert Wagner Films
• Westerns

Review:
Nicholas Ray directed this remake of Henry King’s Jesse James (1939), which similarly posited that the notorious outlaw had a reasonable rationale for turning to a life of crime — though in this film, it’s even more clearly emphasized how Jesse used and abused his initial motivations to continue his intimidating and felonious behavior.

The production was a challenging one for Ray, who was gradually forced to make a film unlike the one he’d envisioned (see CineSavant’s review for many more details). The result is a somewhat confusing flashback film in which we follow the general gist (especially after having seen the original 1939 film) but don’t understand the “logic” behind the order of the vignettes. With Lange such a sympathetic character, and Moorehead pleading for compassion on behalf of her son:

… it’s difficult to know how to manage our distaste for Jesse’s actions and choices. Coming across best are Hunter as Jesse’s brother Frank:

… and Alan Hale as gang member Cole Younger:

.. and the visuals are compelling throughout.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine cinematography by Joseph MacDonald
  
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though Nicholas Ray fans will likely be curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• CineSavant Review
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
Holocaust survivor Otto Frank (Joseph Schildkraut) reflects back on the two years he and his wife (Gusti Huber) and two daughters, Margot (Diane Baker) and Anne (Millie Perkins), spent hiding in the attic of a business owned by Harry (Douglas Spencer) and Miep (Dodie Heath) Kraler, along with Mr. (Lou Jacoby) and Mrs. Van Daan (Shelly Winters) and their teenage son Peter (Richard Beymer) and a dentist (Ed Wynn).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coming of Age
• George Stevens Films
• Jews
• Millie Perkins Films
• Play Adaptations
• Shelley Winters Films
• Survival
• World War II

Review:
Millie Perkins made her screen debut as the title figure in this adaptation of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s play based on Anne Frank‘s diary. Director George Stevens and DP William C. Mellor deftly handle the challenges of filming a story taking place almost entirely within the confines of a crowded attic:

… with the theme of survival under extraordinary circumstances helping keep us in suspense despite knowing the tragic outcome of the story.

We are intrigued by the inevitable interpersonal tensions that emerge amongst this motley crew of refugees:

… and can only imagine trying to endure something like this ourselves. Winters won a Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of a quibbling housewife most interested in holding onto her fur coat and (later) ensuring her husband (not her son!) has enough to eat:

Meanwhile, Schildkraut, reprising his Broadway role, is perfectly cast as a noble and patient father doing his best to keep the group peaceful and alive, and Douglas Spencer and Dodie Heath are appropriately subtle as the couple who risked their own lives to save others:

Less successful is the ongoing subplot about Anne’s (mutual) crush on Peter, which is belabored to the point of distraction:

While we know that romance and other adolescent concerns were top of mind for Anne during her time in hiding, the presence of these two good-looking actors ultimately feels too much like simply a cinematic excuse to portray young love. Perkins is soulful and pretty as big-eyed Anne:

… but I couldn’t help wondering how the original stage star (Susan Strasberg) would have fared in this complex role. While this movie isn’t must-see, it’s a worthy adaptation and recommended for one-time viewing.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Joseph Schildkraut as Mr. Frank
  
• Shelley Winters as Mrs. Van Daan
  
• Fine cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s certainly worth a look. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A traumatized and epilectic (“idiotic”) but deeply sympathetic veteran (Masayuki Mori) befriends a man (Toshiro Mifune) who is obsessively in love with the beautiful mistress (Setsuko Hara) of a wealthy man (Eijirô Yanagi), Hara is about to be married off to a man (Minoru Chiaki) eager for a dowry being brokered by Mori’s only remaining relative (Takashi Shimura) — but when Hara falls in love with Mori, this complicates his burgeoning romantic relationship with Shimura’s daughter (Yoshiko Kuga).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Akira Kurosawa Films
• Japanese Films
• Love Triangle
• Obsessive Love
• Toshiro Mifune Films
• Veterans

Review:
Akira Kurosawa’s follow-up film after the breakthrough success of Rashomon (1950) was this personal passion project — a faithful adaptation of a novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Kurosawa’s original version ran 265 minutes, but the abandoned footage has never been found, leaving us with a 166-minute iteration that honestly still feels pretty lengthy. While The Idiot was a personal favorite of Kurosawa’s, it hasn’t held up well as a particularly accessible movie, instead coming across as more of a literary adaptation that will be of most interest to those familiar with the novel. It’s enjoyable to see familiar and beloved faces from classic Japanese cinema:

… but we never really feel connected to their characters. The cinematography is appropriately stark:

… and the storyline’s setting in snowy, Russian-influenced Hokkaido is an effective choice:

… but I’ll wager that most viewers will find it a struggle to remain authentically engaged in the narrative.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine cinematography
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a Kurosawa fan.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Criterion Essay (scroll down)
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
After accidentally bombing an orphanage while flying a plane in WWII, a minister (Rock Hudson) suffering from tremendous guilt leaves his profession to fight in the Korean War.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Airplanes and Pilots
• Biopics
• Dan Duryea Films
• Douglas Sirk Films
• Korean War
• Orphans
• Rock Hudson Films

Review:
The same year he released his film The Tarnished Angels (1957) — about a boozy reporter (Rock Hudson) who falls for the wife (Dorothy Malone) of a stunt pilot (Robert Stack) — Douglas Sirk made this adaptation (also starring Hudson) of a memoir by Dean Elmer Hess, known for his leadership in the “Kiddy Car Airlift” of hundreds of orphans from war-torn Korea. Given the current plight of Ukrainian refugees and the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan last summer, it’s especially harrowing watching dramatized footage of this operation:

… though it’s questionable how much of a role Hess himself actually played in the evacuation, given that (much to Sirk’s consternation) he was overly involved in the making of the film and the crafting of his image. The screenplay itself is pure Americana hokum of the 1950s, showing Hudson leaving behind a beautiful housewife (Martha Hyer):

… while also sparking (unintentional) romantic flames with an ethereally beautiful Korean-Indian woman (Anna Kashfi) who ends up caring for the orphans Hudson finds running around his base:

Perhaps most cringe-worthy is the inclusion of a bearded elderly Christian Korean (Philip Ahn) who dispenses pearls of wisdom to Hudson at just the right moments (“In order to save, at times we must destroy”):

At least Dan Duryea has a fun comedic role as a sergeant who gets to cleverly steal candy and gum from the Navy (!):

… and Hudson acquits himself nobly as the handsome pilot who “redeems” himself.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Rock Hudson as Col. Dean Hess
  
• Fine Technicolor cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though Sirk fans will likely want to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
During the Korean War, a platoon tasked with tricking the Communists into thinking their forces are not retreating navigate icy cold conditions while a fearful corporal (Richard Basehart) worries that his superiors — including hard-nosed Sgt. Rock (Gene Evans) — will die and leave him in charge of his men.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cowardice
• Korean War
• Richard Basehart Films
• Sam Fuller Films
• Soldiers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “action-filled, intelligent war movie” — “written and directed by Sam Fuller” — clearly shows Fuller’s “war experience” given “the believable dialogue between soldiers and the intricate military strategy they conceive.” He notes that this “film is about the responsibility of being a soldier; it doesn’t matter if a soldier is scared or brave, for heroics will come about only if one one does the job.” He asserts that while there are “many fine moments,” there are “none better than when all the soldiers put their bare feet together for protection against frostbite and one foot, which no longer has feeling, has no claimaint.”

I would argue that the minefield scene — in which Basehart is forced to test his own mettle, inch by harrowing inch — is right up there in terms of most memorable moments:

Peary challenges us to “try to pick… out” James Dean (in his first, uncredited role), which is possible with careful scrutiny:

Overall, this compact thriller tells an effectively authentic tale of survival and bravery under extreme duress, and remains well worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine performances by the ensemble cast
  
• Lucien Ballard’s cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, as a nifty wartime action flick by a master director.

Categories

• Good Show
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
In war-torn Italy, an old woman (Emma Gramatica) finds a baby in a cabbage patch and raises the young boy (Gianni Branduani) as her own until she dies and he’s sent to an orphanage. Once Toto (Francesco Golisano) grows up, he joins a poverty-stricken community threatened by a mogul (Guglielmo Barnabo) who is determined to purchase their oil-rich land and send its inhabitants away. When Toto suddenly receives angelic help from his deceased mother, he is able to stave off the encroaching capitalists and help his neighbors’ wishes come true.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Do-Gooders
• Fantasy
• Italian Films
• Orphans
• Resistance Fighters
• Vittorio De Sica Films

Review:
In between Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Umberto D. (1952), Vittorio De Sica directed this surprisingly light-hearted, fantasy-filled look at enduring inequities in post-WWII Italy, specifically poking fun at the insidiously heartless encroachment of capitalism on collectivist efforts to survive. The opening cabbage patch sequence (accompanied by Alessandro Cicognini’s lilting score) sets the tone nicely for magic and whimsy:

… as does an ensuing scene in which Gramatica is giddy to discover spilled milk on her cottage floor:

… given that she can instantly turn it into a makeshift map of a village with a milk-river running through it. As she exclaims to Toto, “What a great big place the world is!”

Once Toto has grown up into a preturnaturally positive young man (Golisano):

… he continues to turn every challenge into an opportunity for gratitude and charity — starting with having his valise stolen by an impoverished man, then bunking with him in his freezing-cold, tent-like accommodations.

From there, Toto helps turn their local dump into a livable village, all while ensuring the children learn their multiplication facts by painting them on all the signs:

We root for Toto when he falls instantly in love with a sweet, mistreated servant (Brunella Bovo):

… and are disheartened by the persistent baddies eager to exploit the “disposable” masses:

Thankfully, Gramatica’s magical charm arrives at just the right moment to turn everything around — but to say more would spoil the story. This neo-realist fable remains an unusual treat, and is worth seeking out.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine cinematography
  
• Ned Mann’s charming special effects
  
• Numerous memorable moments
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a good show by a master director. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Good Show
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review (note that his statement about actor Golisano’s death doesn’t hold up according to other sources)

Synopsis:
An alluring factory worker (Dorothy Dandridge) seduces a flight school candidate (Harry Belafonte) away from his sweet fiancee (Olga James), and soon he follows Carmen (Dandridge) to Chicago, where she’s being wooed by a prizefighter (Joe Adams).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• African-Americans
• Dorothy Dandridge Films
• Femmes Fatales
• Harry Belafonte Films
• Love Triangle
• Musicals
• Otto Preminger Films
• Play Adaptations
• Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
Twentieth Century Fox’s second CinemaScope offering after The Robe (1953) was this all-Black musical produced and directed by Otto Preminger, based on Oscar Hammerstein II’s stage musical of the same name, which was itself based on Georges Bizet’s 1875 opera Carmen. Dandridge had to convince Preminger that she was sultry enough to play the seductive Carmen, and she succeeded, with some truly sizzling scenes emerging on-screen:

Unfortunately, I found it hard to have much sympathy for Carmen, whose very first song has her gloating openly:

If you’re hard to get
I go for you.
And if I do,
Then you are through, boy —
my baby, that’s the end of you.

She does everything she can to lure Belafonte away from poor James, who’s done nothing wrong and is simply waiting to marry the man she loves.

If one can get past this initial insult, however, it’s easy enough to get caught up in the travails of star-crossed Dandridge and Belafonte — and along the way, we’re treated to some rousing songs, including “Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum” by Pearl Bailey as Frankie, an acquaintance who wants to take Carmen with her to Chicago:

… and “Whizzin’ Away Along de Track”:

… among others. Carmen Jones remains worthy viewing both for Dandridge’s Oscar-nominated performance (her too-short life and career were truly tragic), and for the film’s historical relevance.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen
  
• Beautiful gowns by Mary Ann Nyberg
  
• A fine musical score

Must See?
Yes, for its historical significance and Dandridge’s performance. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book. Selected in 1992 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Noteworthy Performance(s)
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Shortly after the American Civil War, a former Confederate soldier (Gary Cooper) joins forces with a mercenary (Burt Lancaster) and his crew (including Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, Charles Bronson, and Archie Savage) in Mexico, where the pair negotiate for the highest wages to help either the Juarista revolutionaries — led by General Ramirez (Morris Ankrum) and supported by a beautiful pickpocket (Sara Montiel) — or the Emperor Maximilian (George Macready), whose loyal marquis (Cesar Romero) is tasked with helping a countess (Denise Darcel) make it safely to Vera Cruz with a gold-laden carriage.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Burt Lancaster Films
• Cesar Romero Films
• Charles Bronson Films
• Ernest Borgnine Films
• Gary Cooper Films
• George Macready Films
• Mexico
• Revolutionaries
• Robert Aldrich Films
• Westerns

Review:
This dark western by Robert Aldrich — based on a story by Borden Chase, and filmed on location in Mexico with cinematography by DP Ernest Laszlo — is often cited as the inspiration for later “spaghetti westerns”, given the presence of plenty of violence and double-crossing, and lack of a clear-cut “hero”. Indeed, both Cooper and Lancaster are looking out for themselves above all else, as we see clearly established in an early scene when Cooper purchases a horse from Lancaster and picks up on every trick Lancaster tries to pull:

The duo remain tenuously aligned when confronting hundreds of white-clad revolutionaries, stooping to the level of endangering young children in order to get away:

Other characters are equally morally dubious — such as Montiel’s beautiful, brazen pickpocket-stowaway:

… and Darcel’s calculating countess:

Naturally, the men fall for these women, though loyalty from any of the players is far from guaranteed. The main drama in the storyline comes from wondering who will outwit who, in order to secure the gold hidden in the carriage:

Interestingly, Bosley Crowther of the NY Times completely slammed this movie upon its release, referring to it as a “pretty atrocious film” “loaded with meaningless violence and standard horse opera clichés,” with “nothing to redeem” it. However, it made a ton of money and has become a critical darling in years since. Watch for Ernest Borgnine in a key supporting role before his breakout performance in Marty (1955):

… and Charles Bronson as an especially aggressive baddie:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Creative direction by Aldrich
  
• Ernest Laszlo’s Superscope cinematography
  
• Fine location shooting in Mexico
  

Must See?
Yes, as an enjoyable western by a master director. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Good Show
• Important Director

Links:

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

Synopsis:
When his brother Joseph (Cameron Mitchell) marries a well-to-do young woman (Elizabeth Sellars) in Marseilles, young Napoleon Bonaparte (Marlon Brando) falls in love with Sellars’ sister Desiree (Jean Simmons), and the two become engaged — but soon Napoleon disappears to Paris, and Desiree learns he will instead be marrying a wealthy noblewoman named Josephine (Merle Oberon) in order to pursue his path towards global dominance. Desiree marries one of Napoleon’s generals, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (Michael Rennie), who eventually becomes king of Sweden and renounces his French citizenship — but Desiree and Napoleon continue to cross paths occasionally, even as their destinies diverge widely.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cameron Mitchell Films
• Historical Drama
• Jean Simmons Films
• Marlon Brando Films
• Merle Oberon Films
• Michael Rennie Films
• Royalty and Nobility

Review:
A year before co-starring in Guys and Dolls (1955), Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons were paired in this historical drama which Brando was notoriously forced to make (contractually speaking). To that end, his Napoleon is serviceable but not much more:

… while Simmons is gorgeous but also not given too much depth.

We’re glad she meets kind Rennie, and we enjoy the beautiful sets and costumes throughout:

… but there’s not much otherwise to hold our attention. I did get a chuckle out of reading NY Times reviewer Bosley Crowther’s pun at the end of his mostly panning review, in which he describes this film as “a colorful vehicle for a pseudo-Napoleonic outing, a streetcar named ‘Désirée’.”

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine CinemaScope cinematography
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re curious.

Links:

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