FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A ruthless contract killer (Vince Edwards) finds his resolve shaken when he learns his next victim (Caprice Toriel) is a woman.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Assassination
• Character Studies
• Hit Men

Review:
This little-seen B-thriller — reportedly one of Martin Scorsese’s personal favorites — tells the simple yet remarkably effective tale of an uber-rational hit man who becomes completely unhinged by the thought of killing a woman. Director Irving Lerner keeps the story moving at an economical clip, introducing us immediately to our determined protagonist, providing several vignettes of his calculated killing style, then transplanting us to Los Angeles, where comic relief suddenly appears in the form of the two atypical thugs (Phillip Pine and Herschel Bernardi) tasked with ensuring that Edwards carries out his job in a timely fashion. From this point on, we’re no longer sure what to expect, and are kept in genuine suspense throughout the remainder of the film. Although we never learn exactly why Edwards is so freaked out by the thought of killing a woman (he limits his explanation to a mere, “They’re unpredictable”), Murder by Contract remains ripe for a more probing analysis of gender relations. Lucien Ballard’s cinema verite camera work and Perry Botkin’s memorable, guitar-heavy score add to the overall enjoyment of this compact little thriller, which is well worth seeking out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Vince Edwards as Claude
  
• Phillip Pine and Herschel Bernardi as the “comic relief” duo tasked with ensuring that Claude completes his duties in Los Angeles
  
• Many effectively shot and edited sequences
  
• Lucien Ballard’s cinematography
  
• Perry Botkin’s guitar-drenched soundtrack

Must See?
Yes, as an all-around good show which deserves wider release.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An ex-con (John Payne) becomes the unwitting patsy in a heist engineered by a masked man (Preston Foster), and carried out by three criminals (Jack Elam, Neville Brand, and Lee Van Cleef) who don’t know each others’ identities.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coleen Gray Films
• Ex-Cons
• Framed
• Heist
• John Payne Films
• Lee Van Cleef Films
• Neville Brand Films
• Phil Karlson Films
• Preston Foster Films
• Revenge
• Thieves and Criminals

Review:
This compact, gritty thriller by director Phil Karlson takes viewers on a fast-paced journey from Kansas City to Mexico, as its protagonist (John Payne) doggedly tracks and pursues the cons who’ve framed him. Payne — a down-on-his-luck veteran who can’t seem to catch a break — actually doesn’t emerge as the film’s central character until after the initial heist sequence has taken place; from this point on, events unfold in a series of tense, often violent encounters, as both Payne and the criminals express bitter determination to secure their fair share of the loot. An added layer of complexity emerges once we learn the true identity of Foster’s “Masked Man”, and begin to understand the motivations behind his organization of the secretive heist. Unfortunately, lovely Coleen Gray is wasted in a supporting role as Foster’s beautiful daughter (who falls for Payne, thus complicating matters even further) — but the male performances throughout are uniformly excellent, and the punchy script offers them plenty of memorable exchanges (“You been givin’ me the fisheye all night…”).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• John Payne as Joe Rolfe
  
• Preston Foster as The Boss
  
• Jack Elam as cockeyed Pete Harris
  
• Neville Brand and Lee Van Cleef as Boyd Kane and Tony Romano
  
• A taut, exciting tale of corruption and revenge
  

Must See?
Yes, as a highly enjoyable noir caper flick.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

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

Synopsis:
At a boarding school in the 1950s, two friends — Abby (Pamela Sue Martin) and Muffy (Betsy Slade) — lose their virginity, with unexpected consequences.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Boarding School
• Coming of Age
• Sexuality
• Virginity

Review:
While it doesn’t exactly cover new territory, Peter Hyams’ Our Time (which aired on television under the more lurid title Death of Her Innocence) offers a reasonably authentic look at teenage sexuality and its occasionally devastating consequences. The screenplay begins by following the travails of Abby (Martin), who’s genuinely in love with her boyfriend (Parker Stevenson) and trying to decide whether it’s okay to have sex with him before marriage; meanwhile, her friend Muffy (Slade) longs for a relationship with handsome “Buzzy” Knight (Michael Gray) while failing to see the appeal of her loyal longtime admirer, Malcolm (George O’Hanlon, Jr.). Soon the story shifts to Muffy’s life-changing dilemma as she makes an unwise decision during a moment of emotional pain, and ends up paying dearly for it. While her story is compelling, however, Hyams is unable to elicit truly natural performances from his cast of likable actors — even Slade (Brian De Palma’s first choice to play the lead role in Carrie) fails to make the most of her sympathetic character. Ultimately, Our Time will be of most interest to fans of coming-of-age stories, but isn’t must-see viewing for all-purpose film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A sensitive look at teenage sexuality and its consequences
  

Must See?
No, but it will likely be of interest to coming-of-age fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry

Synopsis:
A juvenile delinquent (Ann-Margret) escapes from reform school and takes refuge in the home of aspiring politician David Stratton (John Forsythe). While Stratton wants nothing to do with her, Jody (Ann-Margret) threatens to reveal his involvement in harboring a fugitive, and soon he finds himself battling Jody’s manipulative pals (Peter Brown and James Ward) down in Tijuana.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Femmes Fatales
• Fugitives
• Hostages
• Juvenile Delinquents

Review:
This unfairly maligned B-flick — referred to by the TV Guide as a “thoroughly hideous and unpleasant movie” — is actually an enjoyably kitschy drama which offers plenty of lurid, sassy entertainment. From the opening shot of sexy Ann-Margret (Jody) running down the street in a baby doll nightgown:

… we’re taken along for a fast-paced ride as Jody-cum-Goldilocks “accidentally” sleeps in a publicity-conscious senator’s house:

… takes advantage of his compassion, then quickly reveals her true nature as a deeply manipulative — and deeply troubled — juvenile delinquent. Ann-Margret is perfectly cast (and appropriately over-the-top) as Jody, a wild-card teen with vicious claws; and while many have ridiculed John Forsythe’s performance as Jody’s “square” counterpart, he does a believable job reacting the way a compassionate yet publicity-paranoid politician most likely would.

Just when we think the heated story is going to remain centered on Jody’s manipulation of David (will this red-blooded male — separated from his wife, no less — give in to Jody’s tempting sexual advances?), several new characters are introduced:

Peter Brown and James Ward are appropriately creepy and cocky as the hoodlum pals who show up on David’s doorstep, and Diane Sayer (equally good in The Strangler, released the same year) adds just the right touch of guilelessness to her role as “Midge”, a female hanger-on given to saying “Guy!” instead of “God!” By the time the story takes us to Tijuana (ever-reliable as a border-town location of crisis and chaos), we’re anxiously awaiting David’s opportunity to finally break free from the clutches of his juvenile hostage-takers; fortunately, the film’s ending — while improbable — is perhaps the most satisfying of all possible outcomes.

Note: Kitten With a Whip was spoofed by the MST3K crew (and can be viewed in 10-minute installments on You Tube), but remains a rare entry in that series which bears watching on its own as well, without commentary.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ann-Margret as Jody
  
• John Forsythe as David
  
• Peter Brown and James Ward as Jody’s hoodlum friends
  
• Diane Sayer as naive Midge
  
• A luridly enjoyable tale of manipulation
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  
• Plenty of hilariously sassy lingo (“I feel creamy!”)

Must See?
Yes, for its status as a cult favorite. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Cult Movie

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Shock Cinema Review

Synopsis:
A WWII resistance fighter (Merle Oberon) has an affair with an unsuspecting German major (Carl Esmond), and is able to pass on vital information to the Norwegian underground. When Esmond’s superior becomes suspicious, however, a British agent (Brian Aherne) — formerly Oberon’s lover — is sent to assassinate Esmond.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Brian Aherne Films
• Dorothy Arzner Films
• Merle Oberon Films
• Nazis
• Resistance Fighters
• Spies
• World War II

Review:
This rather pedestrian wartime melodrama is primarily notable as director Dorothy Arzner’s final feature film, yet it offers little that’s new or different to the genre; as noted so succinctly in the New York Times‘ original review, “Although the film does maintain a measure of suspense quite steadily, its authors and director have failed to stamp it with any distinction or depth of conviction to lift it above the level of a dozen similar mediocre war films.” Oberon is generally fine — and appropriately beautiful (if unconvincing as a Norwegian) — in the leading role (though she doesn’t know how to mime piano-playing for the life of her!):

Faring slightly better is Brian Aherne as her British lover, who at least brings some welcome energy to the proceedings.

While one knows that all will (or should) work out in the end, there are at least a few tension-filled moments along the way — ultimately, however, First Comes Courage remains resolutely “ordinary”, and will only be of real interest to die-hard Arzner fans.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Brian Aherne as Captain Lowell
  
• Fine cinematography
  

Must See?
No; I suspect the only reason this film is listed in Peary’s book is because it was directed by Arzner.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
An Irish immigrant (Robert Shaw) in Montreal remains hopeful that a “job with possibilities” lies just around the corner — meanwhile, his disillusioned wife (Mary Ure) grows tired of her husband’s lies and instability, and threatens to break up their marriage.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Canadian Films
• Character Studies
• Immigrants and Immigration
• Marital Problems
• Robert Shaw Films
• Unemployment

Review:
Robert Shaw shines as the title character in this tale of Irish immigrants hoping to create a new life for themselves in Montreal, Canada. While “Ginger” is undeniably self-deluded, unrealistic, and dishonest, the strength of Shaw’s performance lies in the fact that we literally can’t help sympathizing with Ginger from the moment he appears on-screen: his face is full of such genuine good cheer (his eyes are piercingly bright) that one immediately understands why he gets so far on charisma and charm alone. Unfortunately, despite the deceptively cheery soundtrack, circumstances quickly go downhill, as Ginger makes one bad decision after another, and his wife (played with nuance and depth by Shaw’s real-life wife, Mary Ure) suddenly realizes she can no longer count on Ginger as a reliable partner. Given its depressing trajectory, The Luck of Ginger Coffey won’t be for all tastes — but it’s certainly worth a look if you can locate a copy.

Note: Director Irvin Kershner makes excellent use of Montreal locales, seamlessly incorporating several vignettes which reveal the language tensions inherent in mid-century Canadian politics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Robert Shaw as Ginger Coffey
  
• Mary Ure as Ginger’s put-upon wife, Vera
  
• Libby McClintock as Ginger and Vera’s teenage daughter, Paulie
  
• Fine on-location footage in Montreal
  

Must See?
No, but it’s absolutely worth a look simply for Shaw’s noteworthy performance.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Three former showgirls — Schatzi (Joan Blondell), Polaire (Madge Evans), and Jean (Ina Claire) — hoping to land sugar daddies find their friendship compromised when Jean repeatedly butts in on the other girls’ conquests.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Gold Diggers
• Joan Blondell Films
• Play Adaptation
• Rivalry
• Romantic Comedy

Review:
This early cinematic adaptation of Zoe Akins’ Broadway play — later remade (and substantially rewritten) as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) — is a disappointment. The primary problem lies in the way the character of Jean is written: while Ina Claire gives a marvelously over-the-top performance:

… it defies belief that Schatze and Polaire would continue their friendship with her given her history of rampant double-crossing.

Indeed, it’s deeply unpleasant to watch Jean ruthlessly edging in on one relationship after the other while her friends stand by helplessly — by the end of the film, she’s becomes somewhat of a villainess, a development out of keeping for a story presumably about female solidarity. Ultimately, it’s just not very enjoyable to watch these three unlikely friends pursuing their (uninteresting and instantly forgettable) male catches.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ina Claire as Jean
  

Must See?
No; the remake is infinitely better.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)