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Synopsis:
Baseball legend Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper) goes against the wishes of his overbearing mother (Elsa Janssen) in pursuing his passion for sports, and eventually marries the love of his life (Teresa Wright) before tragedy befalls them.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Baseball
• Biopics
• Dan Duryea Films
• Gary Cooper Films
• Illness
• Sam Wood Films
• Teresa Wright Films
• Walter Brennan Films

Review:
A year after winning an Oscar for the title role in Sergeant York (1941), Gary Cooper played another real-life historical figure: recently deceased Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, whose early death from a neurodegenerative disease (ALS) shocked the nation. Cooper wasn’t naturally good at baseball — and also wasn’t a southpaw like Gehrig — so extensive training, special effects tricks, and doubles were employed (to reasonable effect):

Meanwhile, cinematographer Rudolph Mate utilized creative lighting to help give the illusion of 41-year-old Cooper as a younger, then slightly older, man. There’s no denying the emotional impact of Gehrig’s plight, epitomized by the short speech he gave at Yankee Stadium in which he referred to himself as the “luckiest man on the face of the earth” before retiring:

However, Jo Swerling and Herman Mankiewicz’s screenplay stretches to fill its two-hour+ running length. According to a recent book by Richard Sandomir entitled The Pride of the Yankees: Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper, and the Making of a Classic (2017), the entire movie was heavily informed by active input from Gehrig’s widow, Eleanor. While the character of Cooper’s German mother (Janssen) was apparently toned down from real life:

… she’s still seriously obnoxious (Eleanor didn’t get along with her at all), and a good deal of the storyline is taken up both with Lou trying to hide his career from his mom, and Janssen’s clashes with poor newlywed Eleanor (who at least ultimately triumphs as Gehrig’s new “best girl”).

Meanwhile, Babe Ruth enjoyed playing a supporting role in the movie, and lost a significant amount of weight before filming began (see Sandomir’s absorbing book for much more detail on this and every other detail of the film’s conception, production, and reception).

Ultimately, this honorable biopic — which began shooting just 8 months after Gehrig’s death — tries to tell a compelling story about an impressive baseball player whose life wasn’t really all that dramatic until he suddenly fell ill; the result is a respectful film that doesn’t quite provide the impact it could (until the very end).

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig
  
• Rudolph Mate’s cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly worth a one-time look, and likely of interest to film fanatics for its many Oscar nominations. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
In post-World War II London, a bomb is accidentally set off in the neighborhood of Pimlico by a group of boys playing with a tire, which unearths a cellar of buried treasure and a charter indicating that Pimlico is legally still a part of Burgundy. After a Frenchman (Paul Dupuis) arrives and claims to be the Duke of Burgundy, which is ratified by an esteemed professor (Margaret Rutherford), the local residents — including a policeman (Roy Carr), a bank manager (Raymond Huntley), and a shopkeeper (Stanley Holloway) and his daughter (Barbara Murray) — rally together to govern and care for the area, and the tiny neighborhood becomes a bastion of solidarity. But what will happen when their supplies run out?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Margaret Rutherford Films
• Satires and Spoofs

Review:
Ealing Studios produced this satire lovingly skewering all aspects of politics and post-war survival for Britons — who, in this amiable rendering, band together to support one another (nearly) effortlessly. The pace is quick and the cast ensemble, so it’s best to simply go with the flow of the storyline and watch as the humorous situation unfolds. First, we’re briefly introduced to life under extreme rationing (which it turns out continued many years after the war ended):

Then we see what happens when discovery of a miraculous treasure stash:

… leads to unexpected consequences. We briefly think that tensions will focus on which of the boys was responsible for setting off the bomb (and hence, “deserving” of the spoils):

… but this becomes a moot point when discovery of a Burgundian charter:

… leads the “town” to become a bastion of free-market jubilation. Upon the realization that Pimlico isn’t subject to British rationing or governance, wild partying and black market trading ensue:

Naturally, however, such a glorious state of affairs can’t last forever; and when the police refuse to help out, the “Burgundians” retaliate by imposing travel restrictions (hence the “passports” of the title).

Just some of the many rapidfire subplots include Rutherford’s intermittent appearance as a professor who verifies the authenticity of Dupuis’s claim to dukedom:

… a burgeoning romance between Dupuis and Murray:

… and how the surreptitious collection of water from a nearby main has unexpectedly dire consequences:

Meanwhile, a clever faux-newsreel about “plucky little Burgundy” shows the children (who’ve been shipped away to “safety”) how their parents are surviving:

… and the situation eventually culminates in a hilarious show of good will as supplies are not only airlifted in but tossed across barbed wire:

Given our ongoing global and local challenges with supporting one another through tough times, this very time-specific satire (scripted by T.E.B. Clarke) maintains a universally appealing charm — if only we could all resolve our conficts so easily…

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Many cleverly satirical moments
  

Must See?
Yes, for its historical relevance.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Trailers From Hell Review
• Movie Diva Review
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Talk Review (scroll down)
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
When an itinerant piano tuner (Cary Grant) returns home to live with his ailing mother (Ethel Barrymore), he finds casual romance with his long-time, no-attachments lover (Jane Wyatt) but also falls for the former wife (June Duprez) of a gangster (Jim Coulouris), who wants Grant to work for him rather than simply as a clerk in Barrymore’s shop.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Barry Fitzgerald Films
• Cary Grant Films
• Dan Duryea Films
• Ethel Barrymore Films
• Gangsters
• Grown Children
• Jane Wyatt Films
• June Duprez Films

Review:
Clifford Odets directed and wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of a novel by Richard Llewellyn, best known as the author of How Green Was My Valley. This highly literate film is somber and atmospheric — and certainly a change of pace for Grant, who strongly related to the central role. It’s hard at first to care much for his unlikable character:

… and a bit challenging (though not impossible) to make sense of the heavy dialect spoken by Grant and the other characters. Eventually, however, we become drawn into the hard-scrabble world portrayed here, with individuals seemingly limited to either eking by on minimal wages or turning to crime — though there is plenty of compassion and camaraderie on display as well.

I’m particularly fond of the subtle performances Odets elicits across the board — not just from Oscar-nominated Grant and Oscar-winning Barrymore, but from the cast of supporting characters, including Wyatt in a tiny but pivotal role as a musician waiting patiently (though not at all pathetically) in the wings for Grant if he wants her:

… Coulouris as a quietly sinister gangster who refuses to give up Duprez:

… and Duprez as an emotionally complex “moll” whose fate we remain invested in:

While I can’t quite recommend this depressing tale as must-see, it’s well-crafted and worth a look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Cary Grant as Ernie Mott
  
• June Duprez as Ada Brantline
  
• Ethel Barrymore as Ma Mott
  
• Jane Wyatt as Aggie Hunter
  
• George Coulouris as Jim Mordinoy
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
In late 19th century British East Africa, a man (Robert Stack) in charge of a railroad building project stymied by the presence of two man-eating lions becomes obsessed with hunting them down — and the situation turns even more perilous when his wife (Barbara Britton) appears for an unexpected visit.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Africa
• Arch Oboler Films
• Robert Stack Films

Review:
This 3D adventure film by director Arch Oboler is notable for being the first feature-length film shot in color 3D, and for being the enormously popular movie watched by audience members in the classic photograph we’ve all seen for Time Magazine. Unfortunately, everything else about the film is notably undistinguished — from its so-so acting:

… to the lame special effects:

… to the “location” shooting in the Santa Monica mountains (supplemented by more authentic 2D footage Oboler caught in 1948).

Bosley Crowther got it right in his original review for the New York Times, in which he describes the film as having “little or no stimulation of a pictorial or dramatic sort.” To be honest, I was much more intrigued to read about the real-life story this movie was based on — the Tsavo man-eating lions — than watching the film itself.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Historically innovative use of 3D filming
  

Must See?
No. This one is only worth a look for its historical significance, if you’re curious.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Derek Winnert’s Review

Synopsis:
With help from his girlfriend Flo (Susan Cabot), bootlegger-turned-thief “Machine Gun” Kelly (Charles Bronson) robs banks and becomes America’s Public Enemy Number One, while alienating his former partner (Morey Amsterdam). When Kelly and Flo turn to kidnapping a young girl (Lori Martin) and her nurse (Barboura Morris), their longevity as outlaws becomes even more precarious.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Charles Bronson Films
• Gangsters
• Kidnapping
• Roger Corman Films

Review:
Prior to his breakthrough cinematic success in The Magnificant Seven (1960), one of Charles Bronson’s major movie roles was in this mostly-fictional “biopic” of American gangster George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, whose switch from bank robberies to kidnapping precipitated his downfall:

The film opens with a carefully choreographed get-away after a heist, as we’re introduced to pivotal role played by Kelly’s girlfriend “Flo” (based on his wife, Kathryn Kelly):

While Kelly may be a mean, psychopathic bastard who doesn’t hesitate to shoot his guns, throw a punch, or have an accomplice mauled by a lion:

… Flo is equally devious and duplicitous, and Cabot seems to enjoy her role:

Presumably for dramatic interest, the kidnapping that ended Kelly and Flo’s careers was shifted from that of an oil tycoon to his daughter (and her conveniently sexy nurse):

This is actually too bad, given the real-life drama inherent in what went down; click here to watch a brief video, if you’re curious.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• The creative opening credits
  
• Some memorable lines of dialogue: “When rabbits roar, it’s a bad time.”

Must See?
No, though Corman or Bronson fans will want to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review (spoilers alert)
• History on Film Review

Synopsis:
After explaining to his new boss (Jack Hawkins) that a type of airplane known as the “Reindeer” will fail after a certain number of flight hours (due to metal fatigue), a widowed aeronautical engineer (Jimmy Stewart) leaves his self-sufficient daughter (Janette Scott) at home while traveling to investigate a crash. When onboard his flight, he discovers he’s on a Reindeer that is near its presumably fatal number of flying hours, and tries to convince a kind stewardess (Glynis Johns), a famous actress (Marlene Dietrich), and the captain (Niall McGinnis) that they need to ground the plane — but he struggles to get anyone to believe him.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Airplanes and Pilots
• Glynis Johns Films
• Jack Hawkins Films
• Jimmy Stewart Films
• Marlene Dietrich Films
• Niall MacGinnis Films
• “No One Will Believe Me!”
• Scientists

Review:
Jimmy Stewart is perfectly cast as a socially awkward ‘boffin’ in Nevil Shute’s 1948 novel No Highway, which was scarily prescient in its diagnosis of metal fatigue as a potentially fatal characteristic of new aircraft. We’re kept on the edge of our seats from moment to moment as we wait to learn what will happen. Given that we’re clearly meant to sympathize with this eccentric scientist:

… we feel weirdly terrible for him when he’s treated with bemusement or scorn rather than respect. Will his predictions come true? If so, how awful… and yet, if not, then what? Dietrich nicely plays a variation on herself, and is compelling in all of her brief scenes:

It’s especially interesting seeing how her character evolves (quite substantially) over the course of the story. Equally enjoyable is Johns as a stewardess who simply emanates good will (don’t we wish all flight attendants were like her?):

There’s something inherently compelling about “no one will believe me!” tales, and this one is no exception; it’s well worth a watch.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Jimmy Stewart as Theodore Honey
  
• Glynis Johns as Marjorie Corder
  
• Marlene Dietrich as Monica Teasdale
  
• Niall MacGinnis as Captain Samuelson
  
• Georges Perinal’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a fine show.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• TV Guide Review
• DVD Savant Review
• And You Call Yourself a Scientist Review
• Reel Engineering Review

Synopsis:
With support from his preacher (Walter Brennan), his mother (Margaret Wycherly), and his sweetheart (Joan Leslie), a hard-drinking backwoods farmer becomes a devoutly faithful pacifist, refusing to join World War I until he has no other choice — but once he enters the military, he begins to understand the value of his sharpshooting skills at protecting his compatriots from harm.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Character Arc
• Gary Cooper Films
• Howard Hawks Films
• Joan Leslie Films
• Walter Brennan Films
• Ward Bond Films
• World War I

Review:
Gary Cooper won a Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in this biopic about one of the greatest — and perhaps most unusual — war heroes in American history. Cooper actually starred in two other major films that year — Meet John Doe (1941) and Ball of Fire (1941) — and in Alternate Oscars, Peary gives Cooper the award for the latter instead, stating that he believes he “gave a much better performance” (his personal favorite of Cooper’s career) playing bookish Professor Potts. As humble Alvin York, however, Cooper also seems perfectly cast (if perhaps typecast); it was interesting learning that Cooper had to be persuaded (by York himself, who wanted no one else to portray him!) to take the role. He convincingly holds his dialect while playing both a farmer:

… and a soldier:

Unfortunately, the film is overlong at 2 1/4 hours, and the first half+ — with its focus on saintly Brennan’s influence:

… Cooper’s intention to purchase land and marry Leslie:

… and his mother’s firm guidance (Wycherly — best known as “Ma” in White Heat — was certainly a distinctive character actor!):

… is much less compelling than the second half, when we see York’s casual yet calculated brilliance in action:

With that said, film fanatics will likely be interested to see this movie given its historical significance as a film York agreed to finally see made simply to help out the efforts of WWII; as DVD Savant describes the film:

“Howard Hawks’ advocacy movie is an outgrowth of the 30s Warners tradition of taking hard liberal attitudes toward social problems. It’s an unusually complicated example of filmmaking, restating history to make a statement about pressing contemporary problems. It’s beautifully filmed, emotionally honest and exactly right for 1941.”

Check out this podcast episode for a comparison of the movie with real life events; they’re remarkably close, actually. And this bit of trivia (courtesy of IMDb) was moving to read:

Alvin C. York himself was on the set for a few days during filming. When one of the crew members tactlessly asked him how many “Jerries” he had killed, York started sobbing so vehemently he threw up. The crew member was nearly fired, but the next day, York demanded that he keep his job.

Talk about living your beliefs.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine direction and cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, once, for its historical significance and Cooper’s Oscar win. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review
• History on Film Article

Synopsis:
In the Philippines in 1941, a lieutenant (Robert Montgomery) commanding a fleet of U.S. Navy PT (patrol torpedo) boats orders his men to attack a Japanese cruiser, but sends a valued officer with blood poisoning (John Wayne) to recover first in a hospital, where he falls in love with an Army nurse (Donna Reed). Eventually the squadron is sent to rescue General MacArthur and his family, and to resume attacks against the Japanese. Will the men make it safely through their dangerous mission?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cameron Mitchell Films
• Donna Reed Films
• John Ford Films
• John Wayne Films
• Robert Montgomery Films
• Ward Bond Films
• World War II

Review:
Based on a 1942 memoir by William Lindsay White, this John Ford picture is — as Peary writes in Alternate Oscars, where he names it Best Movie of the Year — a “unique World War II film” that represents Ford’s “affectionate, respectful tribute to his war buddy Lieutenant John Bulkeley (Buckley in the film), and the sailors who manned the PT boats in the Philippines, risking their lives to buy time for an eventual American counterattack.” I’ll admit to not knowing what a “PT boat” was before watching this film, and had to do a bit of research to understand the drama in opening scenes, as Montgomery tries to convince his superiors that a PT boat — a type of motor torpedo vessel that was “small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the war by ineffective torpedoes, limited armament, and comparatively fragile construction” — could be a significant force for good in the war effort, and do more than simply “patrolling and delivering messages”.

Sure enough, Montgomery is allowed to demonstrate the veracity of this claim — but not without significant losses and sacrifice.

Indeed, Peary points out that this film remains “one of the most sobering, somber (though there is humor and romance), and sincerely tender World War II films,” a “picture that moves forward on an even keel, without highs and lows, without climaxes, for though the PT squadron has several impressive victories in sea skirmishes, we are well aware that each win costs the lives of men and the damage to or loss of a boat, and that overall, Americans are losing the war in the Pacific.” This is far from a feel-good film, and the characters aren’t viewed as heroes — instead, “Ford presents them as professionals, wisely scared of battle but prepared to do their duty nevertheless, confident in their decisions (there are many strategy sessions in the film):

… and their skills as soldiers, but cognizant of the dangers involved, and willing to follow all orders even if it means taking on humbling assignments.” In addition, “there is tremendous camaraderie” and a “sense of community,” with the “older, veteran soldiers watch[ing] over the baby-faced recruits (a familiar Ford theme)”:

Montgomery — an actual PT commander at Guadalcanal and Normandy — was able to draw upon his real-life experiences to give “a truly wonderful, understated performance” (Peary nominates him as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars):

… with Wayne appropriately taking the back seat (but also quite good in his role). Finally, Peary notes that the “picture has great visual beauty (especially of night scenes, including sea battles):

… propaganda value, and many poignant moments: the men talk with a brave, dying, soldier:

… Sandy (Donna Reed is breathtakingly beautiful) sits alone in a hammock at the dance, left out while Buckley and Rusty talk shop:

… [and] Sandy dines with Rusty, Buckley, and four other soldiers, giving the lonely men pleasure.”

This fine film remains a worthy addition to our cinematic understanding of how World War II played out for Americans on the front lines, and should be seen by all film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Robert Montgomery as Lt. Brickley
  
• Fine, understated performances by the supporting cast
  
• Joseph August’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as an effective film by a master director. Listed as a Sleeper and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Important Director

Links:

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

Synopsis:
As a child, Asa Yoelson (Scotty Beckett) loves to sing in his synagogue and is given his big break by a vaudeville performer (William Demarest) who hires him as part of his act. Once he’s grown up (Larry Parks), “Al Jolson” visits his loving Jewish parents (Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne) in between his thriving career as a popular entertainer and breakthrough movie star, and soon brings his prospective wife (Evelyn Keyes) home to meet them. But will Keyes’ desire for a peaceful life conflict with Jolson’s need to sing?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Evelyn Keyes Films
• Singers
• Vaudeville and Burlesque

Review:
This whitewashed biopic of legendary performer Al Jolson was a box office hit, and helped spark a renewal of interest in Jolson’s talents. Jolson is portrayed as a highly gifted and innovative artist who knows that his novel ideas are worth sharing with the world, and works tirelessly to get his big break.

Perhaps due to the fact that Jolson was still very-much alive (and involved) during the making of this film, all characters are portrayed in a favorable light (though some — like Demarest — are actually amalgams of various people Jolson knew and worked with).

Keyes plays an aspiring dancer named “Julie Benson” since Ruby Keeler didn’t want her actual name involved (though the titles and key melodies from Keeler’s movies are all used):

As a heads up to viewers, much of Jolson’s earliest performing was done in blackface — though in conducting a little research, I was intrigued to learn that Jolson was actually a strong anti-racist advocate, insisting on equal pay for and treatment of Black performers, and responsible for bringing Black musical styles to white audiences. It’s too bad this aspect of his life isn’t given much screentime here (other than showing him briefly visiting a jazz club).

Meanwhile, much of Jolson’s personal life — i.e., his first two wives — is missing from the movie as well, and his temporary early retirement and eventual divorce from Keeler/Keyes is treated as merely a difference in desired lifestyles, with Keyes fully sympathetic of his wish to go back to performing. However, this type of “smoothing over” is par for the course in biopics. Given that Jolson dubbed all the songs, this movie remains a useful entry point for those interested in learning more about this mega-star of vaudeville and early Hollywood.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Joseph Walker’s cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a Jolson fan. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Talk Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
The crew on a British tramp steamer — including Smitty (Ian Hunter), Cocky (Barry Fitzgerald), Yank (Ward Bond), Driscoll (Thomas Mitchell), and Swedes Ole (John Wayne) and Axel (John Qualen) — carouse together while experiencing a variety of challenges, such as Yank being wounded, the crew suspecting Smitty of being a German spy, and Ole’s desire to finally return home to Sweden.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Barry Fitzgerald Films
• Ian Hunter Films
• John Ford Films
• John Qualen Films
• John Wayne Films
• Play Adaptations
• Sailors
• Thomas Mitchell Films
• Ward Bond Films

Review:
Following their initial collaboration on Stagecoach (1939), John Ford and John Wayne reunited for this adaptation (by Dudley Nichols) of four one-act sea-based plays by Eugene O’Neill. The film — set just after England’s entrance into World War II — is inherently episodic in nature, with several different characters taking center stage at various times, and the many challenges of life at sea made apparent:

Most compelling is the mysterious tale of Hunter’s “Smitty”, who is seen attempting to flee the ship after being told none of the sailors can leave due to secrecy issues with ammunition being on board. We can tell he’s distressed and distracted, but don’t understand why — until his shipmates concoct an elaborate rationale for his behavior and trap him into confessing his story.

The other primary tale is that of Ole (Wayne), a genial Swede who is merely on the periphery of proceedings for most of the film, but by the end becomes the storyline’s symbolic (and literal) chance for another life; we’re kept in painful suspense about how his travails will turn out.

Gregg Toland’s cinematography is the true star of the show, however. Those interested in his work will most certainly want to check this film out.

Note: Ford and Wayne’s other (post-war) collaborative efforts are all listed or reviewed in Peary’s book; in chronological order, they are: They Were Expendable (1945), Fort Apache (1948), 3 Godfathers (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers (1956), The Wings of Eagles (1957), The Horse Soldiers (1959), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), and Donovan’s Reef (1963).

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Ian Hunter as Smitty
  
• Gregg Toland’s cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly worth a look as a highly regarded favorite by a master director and cinematographer. Listed as a Sleeper and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book, and nominated as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• TV Guide Review
• TCM Article