FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A factory worker (Humphrey Bogart) upset that an anticipated promotion has gone to his bookish co-worker (Henry Brandon) is recruited by a colleague (Joe Sawyer) to join an undercover society called the Black Legion, and soon finds himself involved in increasingly violent hate crimes. When his wife (Erin O’Brien-Moore) and son (Dickie Jones) leave him, he is consoled by the former girlfriend (Helen Flint) of his friend Ed (Dick Foran), who is now engaged to the sympathetic daughter (Ann Sheridan) of an older colleague (Clifford Soubier).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ann Sheridan Films
• Humphrey Bogart Films
• Marital Problems
• Racism

Review:
This chilling social drama provides an invaluable if white-washed look at an Ohio-based, KKK-inspired hyper-“patriotic” secret organization which at one time may have had a membership as high as 135,000. According to Wikipedia’s article, the Black Legion was “largely made up of native-born, working-class, Protestant white men in the Midwest [who] feared the rapid social changes underway and resented competition with immigrants such as Italians and Jews and migrants in the industrial economy of major cities such as Detroit.” (Their enemies list “included all immigrants, Catholics, Jews and blacks, nontraditional Protestant faiths, labor unions, farm cooperatives and various fraternal groups”.) As in Storm Warning (1951) — based on a Broadway play about the KKK — no specific mention is made about anti-black racism; DVD Savant adds that:

The avoidance of the race issue puts the movie in the same category as the late-40s social protest movie Crossfire, which was compelled to substitute a Jew for its homosexual victim. Standing up for the rights of blacks was something that movies just didn’t do in the middle of the 1930s. Yet both movies were successful in that they opened the door to public discussion about civil rights and civil liberties.

It’s highly disconcerting to see a would-be protagonist like Bogart so easily caught up in murderous, cowardly behavior — which I suppose is exactly the point. We’re meant to be shocked and horrified by what we see carried out here, and we are.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Humphrey Bogart as Frank Taylor
  
• Some powerfully disturbing imagery and themes
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down)
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
A gangster (Edward G. Robinson) whose newly immigrated wife (Rose Stradner) knows nothing about his criminal life is infuriated when she refuses to bring their new son to visit him in prison. Stradner marries a kind journalist (Jimmy Stewart) and “Junior” (Douglas Scott) grows up believing Stewart is his dad — but Robinson, with support from his former associate (Lionel Stander), is determined to seek revenge on his former wife, and Junior soon finds his life in danger.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Edward G. Robinson Films
• Father and Child
• Gangsters
• Jimmy Stewart Films
• John Carradine Films
• Kidnapping
• Marital Problems
• Revenge

Review:
Edward G. Robinson is suitably edgy yet sympathetic as an Al Capone-esque mob boss in this (yes, you guessed it) gangster flick, primarily notable for featuring Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Austrian wife Rose Stradner in one of just three films she made in Hollywood, and Stewart sporting a mustache in a pre-stardom role. Stradner — whose life ended tragically when she was just 45 — has a lovely screen presence, and Scott is refreshingly non-obnoxious as a young boy who refers to his adoptive father as “Dads” (!). The storyline goes in some unexpected directions, and the film is atmospherically shot (the tear gas scene during a prison riot is especially chilling); however, this one is only must-see viewing for Robinson fans.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Edward G. Robinson as Joe Krozac
  
• Rose Stradner as Talya Krozac
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A man (Frank Lovejoy) struggling to provide for his pregnant wife (Kathleen Ryan) and son (Donald Smelick) agrees to work with a charismatic criminal (Lloyd Bridges) who eventually involves him in the murder of a kidnapped hostage. When Bridges hooks up with his girlfriend (Adele Jergens) and Lovejoy is paired with her lonely friend (Katherine Locke), Lovejoy gradually becomes unhinged from guilt; meanwhile, a journalist (Richard Carlson) writes a story about the men’s crime spree, not realizing he is unintentionally inciting a mob.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Downward Spiral
• Frank Lovejoy Films
• Lloyd Bridges Films
• Journalists
• Thieves and Criminals

Review:
Peary lists four films by blacklisted director Cy Enfield in his GFTFF: Sands of the Kalahari (1965), Zulu (1964), Mysterious Island (1961), and this crime drama, based on the same real-life 1933 incident that inspired Fritz Lang’s Fury (1936). Try and Get Me! (renamed after it flopped under its original title of The Sound of Fury) was Endfield’s final American film before fleeing to Britain after HUAC destroyed his Hollywood career, and it’s easy to see parallels here of a man mercilessly assaulted by mob “justice”. Indeed, it’s easy to empathize with Lovejoy’s luckless protagonist, whose sweet Irish wife (Ryan) remains loyal in the midst of poverty, and who is essentially bullied into abetting Bridges when no other opportunities for work emerge. With that said, the film isn’t without notable flaws: Locke’s Hazel is annoyingly pathetic, and the inclusion of an Italian mathematician-sociologist (Renzo Cesana) serving as Carlson’s guilty conscience is a baffling misfire. But the film is creatively directed overall, and the final scenes of mobs stampeding the jail where Bridges and Lovejoy are housed are chilling; this unique low-budget flick is worth a look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Frank Lovejoy as Howard Tyler
  
• Kathleen Ryan as Judy Tyler
  
• Guy Roe’s cinematography
  
  
  
• Powerfully filmed mob scenes
  

Must See?
Yes, for its historical relevance as a unique film by a blacklisted director. Listed as a Sleeper and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

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

Synopsis:
When a salesman (Alec Guinness) is told by his doctor (Ronald Simpson) that he has a terminal disease, he decides to spend his last days and money at a posh hotel, where he unintentionally convinces everyone he’s actually a wealthy, well-bred traveler. He confides his true identity to the head housekeeper (Kay Walsh) while engaging in flirtation with the wife (Beatrice Campbell) of a young criminal (Brian Worth), and receiving countless offers for advice and work.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alec Guinness Films
• Black Comedy
• Character Arc
• Class Relations
• Death and Dying
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Vacation

Review:
After providing notable supporting performance in Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), Alec Guinness had a breakthrough (set of) roles as “the D’Ascoynes” in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), followed shortly by his leading work here as an unassuming man dealing with the shock of unexpected news. Much like in The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936), the film holds inherent interest given our curiosity in seeing how an “average” person reacts to life-altering information about his existence: what will he do now?

Scripted by the prolific British novelist, playwright, screenwriter, producer, broadcaster, and social commentator J.B. Priestley, the storyline goes in unexpected directions while effectively skewering class expectations, and demonstrating the almost inconceivable power that lies in simply knowing the “right” people and being in the “right” places. Though I’m not a fan of the film’s twist ending, that’s a minor quibble, and the movie overall remains very much worth a look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ray Elton’s cinematography
  
• A provocative storyline
  

Must See?
Yes, as an overall good show.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Torch singer Helen Morgan (Ann Blyth) falls in love with a married producer (Richard Carlson) and retains a lifelong attraction to a charming hustler (Paul Newman) while rising to the top of her field and then beginning a steady descent into alcoholism.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
• Ann Blyth Films
• Biopics
• Downward Spiral
• Michael Curtiz Films
• Paul Newman Films
• Singers

Review:
Twelve years after directing Ann Blyth in her breakthrough role as scheming Veda in Mildred Pierce (1945), Michael Curtiz worked with Blyth once again in her final film, this big-budget biopic about talented torch singer Helen Morgan, viewable in real life by film fanatics in two Peary-listed titles — Applause (1929) and Showboat (1936). Blyth fully inhabits the title role, playing Morgan with sympathy and emotional depth — though it’s unfortunate the storyline plays so lightly with the true details of her life; for instance, Newman’s fictional character is an amalgam of all the no-good heels Morgan encountered and couldn’t seem to stay away from, thus playing conveniently into the sentiments of her two most famous songs from Showboat: “Bill” and “Can’t Help Loving’ Dat Man”. Morgan’s alcoholism (the direct cause of her death at the age of 41) isn’t quite glossed over, but isn’t handled with nearly as much candor as it could have been. With that said, the film is fluidly directed, with impressive CinemaScope cinematography, and the musical sequences (dubbed by Gogi Grant, despite Blyth’s own fine voice) are enjoyable — so it’s worth a one-time look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ann Blyth as Helen Morgan
  
• Fine CinemaScope cinematography
  
  
• Many well-staged musical numbers
  

Must See?
No, though fans of Morgan will of course be curious to check it out.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A young orphan (Roddy McDowall) cared for by his gunsmith grandfather (Harry Davenport) is seized by his unscrupulous uncle (George Sanders) and forced to work as his servant, in hopes that Sanders can maintain control over Benjamin (McDowall) and prevent him from learning the truth about his noble heritage. When Benjamin grows up (Franchot Tone), he falls in love with Sanders’ beautiful daughter (Frances Farmer) but decides to escape on a South Seas-bound ship in hopes of making his own fortune. Along with another stowaway (John Carradine), Tone lands on an island where they quickly uncover a wealth of pearls, and Tone falls in love with a native woman (Gene Tierney). Despite his newfound happiness, however, Tone is determined to stake a claim to his rightful inheritance, and — upon his return to England — enlists the help of a lawyer (Dudley Digges) in doing so.

Genres:

• Elsa Lanchester Films
• Frances Farmer Films
• Gene Tierney Films
• George Sanders Films
• Historical Drama
• Inheritance
• John Carradine Films
• John Cromwell Films
• Revenge
• Roddy McDowall Films
• Royalty and Nobility
• South Sea Islands
• Tyrone Power Films

Review:
John Cromwell directed this adaptation of Edison Marshall’s bestselling 1941 novel, featuring hunky Tyrone Power at the height of his fame and beautiful Frances Farmer just before her wrongful descent into institutionalization.

Sanders plays a typically sadistic baddie with nothing but ill intent up his sleeve, though Power is resilient and more than up to the task of facing him. This well-shot adventure-revenge tale covers quite a bit of territory (literally) in its 98 minutes of running time, and features numerous notable supporting performances — particularly by Elsa Lanchester as a helpful prostitute tickled pink to be interacting with nobility. While not must-see for all film fanatics, it’s well worth a look by those who enjoy this kind of historical adventure drama.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric cinematography by Arthur C. Miller
  
• Elsa Lanchester as Bristol Isabel
  

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
While a poet (Lionel Stander) shadows a mentally unstable ballet dancer (Ivan Kirov) suspected of killing his wife, a smitten ingenue (Viola Essen) falls in love with Kirov despite the warnings of her stern ballet instructor (Judith Anderson).

Genres:

• Ballet
• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Mental Illness
• Murder Mystery
• Newlyweds

Review:
Although best known as a prolific screenwriter, Ben Hecht (co)directed a number of interesting titles, such as Crime Without Passion (1934), The Scoundrel (1935), and Angels Over Broadway (1940). Unfortunately, this later effort is much more of a mixed bag, coming across as an intentionally stylized dramatic extension of a dance (per the careers of the main characters) punctuated by overly literate dialogue (Standing’s gravelly-voiced character — what is he doing here, exactly?:

— is the worst culprit; “And my heart… performed a minuet… in an ashcan”) and odd strains of humor — viz. a flamboyantly fey producer (Michael Chekhov) with a Bob’s Big Boy-esque pompadour who swoons over Kirov’s bare chest and is constantly avoiding payments to his set designer and musicians.

Meanwhile, Anderson plays it straight as a dour grand dame of dance, but one wonders what kind of movie she thinks she’s acting in.

The strengths of this low-budget film lie in its visuals (Hecht worked with DP Lee Garmes as usual) and the unexpectedly humorous earnestness of its lead characters; during a particularly noteworthy scene, Kirov and Essen make love to each other with and through their eyes: “Hug me with your eyes… Harder.”

George Antheil’s unique score is also worth a mention.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Numerous unusual sequences and lines (“You’ve got wonderful knees. Most girls’ knees look like plumbers’ fittings.”)
  
• Lee Garmes’ cinematography
  
• George Antheil’s score

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• AFI Catalog Entry

Synopsis:
When a nurse (Patricia Neal) serving in post-WWII Burma learns one of her patients (Richard Todd) has just a few weeks to live, she instructs her multinational group of wounded wards — including a Yank (Ronald Reagan), an Englishman (Howard Marion-Crawford), a Kiwi (Ralph Michael), and a Basuto-speaking African (Orlando Martins) — to befriend Scottish Todd by any means necessary, including looking past his decidedly churlish and off-standing manner.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Death and Dying
• Doctors and Nurses
• Friendship
• Patricia Neal Films
• Play Adaptation
• Ronald Reagan Films
• Soldiers
• World War II

Review:
The essential premise of this adaptation (directed by Vincent Sherman) of John Patrick’s stage play is deeply troublesome: a man isn’t informed he’s about to die, though everyone around him knows. While it’s challenging getting past this moral morass, the film is well-crafted and well-acted, featuring Oscar-nominated Todd (appropriately fierce and memorable) in his screen debut:

… Neal as a compassionate but no-nonsense nurse, and Reagan simply — being Reagan. A running gag about what a Scotsman wears under his kilt (or not) becomes tiresome, and it’s painfully egregious to watch Nigerian-British actor Orlando Martins given such a demeaning role as an “African” (from where, exactly?) who only speaks one word of English: the name — “Blossom” — given to him by his compatriots.

(It’s ironic that Martins was purportedly “the most talkative person on the set.”) With all that said, the story’s central message that we shouldn’t take a person’s gruff exterior as their “true” nature is an important one, and it’s heart-warming to see the group of men banding together for Todd’s sake.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Richard Todd as Lachie
  
• Patricia Neal as Sister Parker
  
• Wilkie Cooper’s cinematography
  

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

Links:

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

Synopsis:
When a mentally unstable woman (Janette Scott) believes her long-dead younger brother (Alexander Davion) has arrived back at their home, her older brother (Oliver Reed), guardian aunt (Sheila Burrell), and caretaker nurse (Lilian Brousse) remain skeptical about his identity. Meanwhile, Reed accuses his family’s accountants (Maurice Denham and John Bonney) of embezzling money from their inheritance.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Inheritance
• Mental Breakdown
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Oliver Reed Films
• Orphans
• Psychological Horror
• Siblings

Review:
Freddie Francis turned out stunning cinematography for more than three dozen films, including the Peary-listed titles Room At the Top (1959), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Sons and Lovers (1960), The Innocents (1961), The Elephant Man (1980), The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), and Dune (1984). Francis directed an equal number of films during his lengthy career — though sadly, none nearly as noteworthy. This Francis-directed Hammer Studios thriller, atmospherically shot by in-house DP Arthur Grant, is ultimately a missed opportunity. The storyline centers on greed, deception, and insanity — and given that most people on display are not-who-they-seem, we’re kept on our toes about who exactly is playing what mind games with whom; but too many of the characters are unlikable, and the conclusion is unsatisfying. This one is primarily worth a look for its visuals.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though fans of psychological horror flicks may want to check it out once.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down to 5th review)

Synopsis:
After the attempted murder of his fiance, an aristocratic man (John Howard) and his sister (Heather Angel) receive an investigative visit at their old dark house from a Scotland Yard scientist (James Ellison) and his droll assistant (Heather Thatcher). Could a local doctor (Bramwell Fletcher) or the long-time house servants (Halliwell Hobbes and Eily Malyon) have anything to do with the mysterious attack?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Murder Mystery
• Old Dark House

Review:
Fox Studios’ first attempt to cash in on the horror film franchises started by Universal Studios and RKO was this interestingly shot but ultimately disappointing comedic murder mystery. With assistance from DP Lucian Ballard, director John Brahm — best known for helming The Lodger (1944) and Hangover Square (1945), both starring Laird Cregar — offers atmosphere in spades. It’s too bad the hour-plus narrative leans so heavily on poorly limned characters and unfunny humor (“This place is colder than a tax collector’s heart!”), culminating in a poorly handled surprise outcome. With that said, you’ll likely get a chuckle when the entire gang heads downstairs to see exactly what’s been lurking in the basement of this family’s eerie manse (who in the world has those kinds of things in their house?!). Watch for steely-faced character actress Eila Maylon, perfectly cast as a veteran housekeeper with potential secrets up her sleeve.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• John Brahm’s creative direction
  
• Effectively spooky sets
  
• Lucian Ballard’s highly atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though fans of such B-level flicks (or Brahm) will likely want to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Talk Review
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Savant Review