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Synopsis:
A mad scientist (Erich von Stroheim) and his assistant (Richard Arlen) preserve the brain of a dead millionaire named Donovan; soon Donovan’s brain begins to take control of Arlen, and Arlen’s girlfriend (Vera Hruba Ralston) fears for his safety.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Disembodied Parts
• Erich von Stroheim Films
• Mad Doctors and Scientists
• Mind Control and Hypnosis
• Science Fiction

Review:
Screenwriter Curt Siodmak’s science fiction novel Donovan’s Brain was adapted for the screen no less than three times; The Lady and the Monster is the earliest of the three versions, and — though it’s not as well-known as its 1952 original-title remake — it’s the only one included in Peary’s book. The trope of a disembodied brain is one that has been exploited numerous times in both literature and film: Roald Dahl had morbid fun with it in his short story “William and Mary”, while the Medved Brothers devoted an entire category to it in their Golden Turkey Awards book (justifiably awarding a Turkey prize to the atrocious They Saved Hitler’s Brain). Here, the subject is handled with relative taste, with “the brain” itself never making much of a gruesomely graphic appearance — instead, we become caught up in a surprisingly compelling mystery story, as Arlen (giving a solid performance) becomes more and more obsessed by Donovan’s brain, and increasingly compelled to follow the dead man’s telepathic dictates.

Part of the success of the screenplay (which eventually becomes too confusing for its own good) is in the way we’re never quite sure who’s “good” or “bad”: we know that Donovan was a fraudulent financier and an overall not-nice person, but is his motivation in getting a convicted murderer out of jail completely self-serving or not? And how far will Professor Mueller (von Stroheim) go with his project, even if it means placing Arlen’s life at increased risk? Meanwhile, the film is surprisingly hypnotic to look at (see stills below), with creepy, shadow-filled gothic sets and stunning noir cinematography by Oscar-winning D.P. John Alton. Film fanatics will likely enjoy seeing von Stroheim in a semi-leading role as mad (but-not-too-mad) Prof. Mueller, while Czech figure-skater-turned-actress Vera Hruba Ralston delivers a notoriously awful performance — fun for laughs if nothing else. The Lady and the Monster isn’t must-see viewing, but it’s certainly worth a look if you can find a copy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric sets
  
  
  
• John Alton’s remarkably effective noir cinematography
  
  
• Vera Hruba Ralston’s laughably awful acting
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look simply for Alton’s impressive cinematography. Listed as a film with historical relevance in Peary’s book, but I’m not exactly sure why.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
An abandoned teenage mother (Jennifer Mayo) turns to the streets, where she befriends an experienced hooker (Jackie Berryman) and resists advances made by an insistent pimp named Easy (David Dean).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Prostitutes
• Single Mothers

Review:
In her debut film, writer-director Rosemarie Turko (who co-directed just one more movie after this, then disappeared from sight) was clearly hoping to shed some light on the harsh reality of teen motherhood and prostitution in L.A.; the result, however, is a trashy exploitation film which will only appeal to hebephilic males eager to see young Jennifer Mayo simulating sex and tarting herself up in tight clothing. At first, Street Love appears to be a slightly more serious variation on the same year’s Angel (1984) — another film in which a teenage girl fends for herself by turning to prostitution. Unfortunately, however, not a single scene thereafter rings true, as the amateur actors struggle to breathe life into their cliched roles, and the clunky script quickly reveals itself to be more of a didactic exercise than an authentic narrative.

Early on, for instance, we see poor “Ruby” (Mayo) being told that she’ll have to pay $55 for the privilege of interviewing for a job; to emphasize the point that there’s no way Ruby can afford this exorbitant and inexplicable fee, Turko offers a close-up of a few pennies (!) in Ruby’s hand. Later, Ruby agrees to participate in a cheesy porn film (a satire of Star Wars called, naturally, Sex Wars) to earn some quick money — but when things go comically haywire through no fault of her own, she’s assigned all the blame and thrown off the set. Most frustrating of all is the way Ruby’s half-black baby (his mixed race is merely exploited as one more strike against Ruby) disappears from the majority of the film altogether; as a result, we never believe that she’s really desperate to create a life with him. A truly authentic film about the perils of solitary teen motherhood clearly has yet to be made.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Not much at all.

Must See?
No. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
During WWII, a group of shipwrecked Japanese sailors land on the rocky island of Anatahan, where they encounter a man (Tadashi Suganuma) and his common-law wife (Akemi Negishi) living in a shack. Over the next seven years, the men compete for Negishi’s attentions while hoping to hear news of Japan’s victory in the war.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deserted Island
• Femmes Fatales
• Japanese Films
• Josef von Sternberg Films
• Rivalry

Review:
When Howard Hughes forced him off the set of his final two films in Hollywood, Josef von Sternberg accepted an invitation to direct a film in Japan; the result is this “curio”, a commercially unsuccessful hybrid movie which has since been recognized as a most unusual and provocative cinematic experiment, and was certainly a personal triumph for von Sternberg at the end of his illustrious career. As noted in Kathy Fennessey’s Siffblog review, Anatahan “plays like a cross between Woman in the Dunes, Underground, Letters From Iwo Jima, and ABC’s Lost” (and, I would add, a dose of Laurel and Hardy’s Block-Heads as well) — a potent mix to be sure.

With Anatahan, von Sternberg very intentionally broke all the “rules” one might expect from a wartime film based on a real-life historical event: he utilized a Kyoto sound stage rather than an actual island, cast Kabuki actors rather than cinematic stars, and implemented a voice-of-God narration over unsubtitled Japanese — all in an effort to create a highly stylized allegory of rivalry and desire. Trapped on an island with only one woman, and patriotically bound to stay put rather than allow themselves to be captured by the enemy, the deluded soldiers’ most basic impulses come into play; they ultimately represent a microcosm of society at its most primitive. Meanwhile, we’re seduced by the beauty of von Sternberg’s unearthly imagery; although he famously said, “I care nothing about the story, only how it is photographed and presented”, Anatahan proves that von Sternberg was entirely capable of marrying the two.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Akemi Negishi as the Queen Bee
  
• Effective use of stylized, claustrophobic sets
  
• A fascinating tale of rivalry and survival
  
• Von Sternberg’s striking cinematography
  
• Akira Ifukube’s haunting score

Must See?
Yes, as an undeniably unique entry in von Sternberg’s late-life career.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
A twice-married woman (Anne Bancroft) with many children marries a screenwriter (Peter Finch), but their happiness is short-lived due to his chronic infidelity.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Anne Bancroft Films
• Flashback Films
• Infidelity
• Jack Clayton Films
• James Mason Films
• Maggie Smith Films
• Marital Problems
• Mental Breakdown
• Peter Finch Films
• Pregnancy

Review:
Harold Pinter’s adaptation of Penelope Mortimer‘s semi-autobiographical novel about infidelity and childbearing is relentlessly bleak but oddly mesmerizing despite its gloomy trajectory. Pinter’s lean screenplay — it’s been called “fastidious” in its faithfulness to Mortimer’s text — wastes no time in taking us from one phase of Bancroft’s pregnancy-filled, marriage-hopping existence to the next: when we first meet Bancroft’s Jo Armitage, she’s (seemingly) happily married to a violinist (Richard Johnson), with rambunctious kids all around:

Her decision to leave Johnson and marry Finch is never explained (is it love at first sight?), but the downward spiral that quickly ensues — as Finch’s career takes off and their marriage hits the rocks — makes it clear that her desire for an idyllic family existence will become more and more remote.

While we can’t help wanting to understand more about Jo’s addiction to having children (which plays a pivotal role in the dissolution of her marriage to Finch), Bancroft’s performance is nonetheless impressive, and she deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for her work; she embodies her depressive London housewife so fully that it’s easy to forget she’s Brooklyn-born rather than British.

Peter Finch as her philandering husband is appropriately duplicitous, while both James Mason and Maggie Smith are deliciously unforgettable in supporting roles. While it’s rarely enjoyable to watch chronic infidelity played out on-screen — and The Pumpkin Eater is no exception to this rule — the film remains must-see viewing simply for Bancroft’s memorable central performance.

Note: Interestingly, while director Jack Clayton helmed several provocative films about the complex lives of children (The Innocents, Our Mother’s House), Bancroft’s kids aren’t given much of a role here; it’s all about the dysfunctional adults instead.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Anne Bancroft as Jo Armitage
  
• Peter Finch as Jake Armitage
  
• James Mason as Bob Conway
  
• Maggie Smith as “Philpot”
  

Must See?
Yes, for Bancroft’s Oscar-nominated performance.

Categories

• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article (major spoilers alert)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
During the Depression, a group of down-on-their-luck contestants — including Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Red Buttons, Susannah York, Bruce Dern, and Bonnie Bedelia — compete in a brutal dance marathon hosted by Gig Young.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Bonnie Bedelia Films
• Bruce Dern Films
• Depression Era
• Flashback Films
• Gig Young Films
• Jane Fonda Films
• Living Nightmare
• Red Buttons Films
• Susannah York Films
• Sydney Pollack Films

Review:
Although Peary designates Pennies From Heaven (1981) “the grimmest of all movie musicals”, surely Sidney Pollack’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? tops that film’s melancholia factor to earn a designation as “the grimmest of all Depression-era films”. Indeed, this notoriously bleak adaptation of Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel is, as noted by DVD Savant, a “depressing but riveting… emotional meat grinder”. We know very little about the host of characters populating the screen other than the following cursory information: Fonda is from Kansas, Bedelia is pregnant, Sarrazin is a drifter, aging Buttons is a former dance marathon winner, and York is desperate for a chance to make it big in Hollywood:

What they all have in common, however, is a willingness to put their health and sanity on the line for three meals a day and the remote possibility of fringe benefits. Remarkably, we can’t help staying gruesomely fascinated by these characters’ fates even as we know (either from gut intuition, or from previous viewings of the film) that little good will come to them. The metaphor of Dance Marathon-as-Life — both are nasty and brutish, and then you die (or lose) — is apparent, but is so effectively framed as a bleakly vibrant history lesson that it’s easy to forget we’re watching anything other than a unique human drama playing out in front of our eyes. They Shoot Horses… isn’t for the faint of heart, and won’t likely be a repeat favorite — but it’s certainly must-see viewing at least once for all film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Gig Young’s Oscar-winning performance as Rocky
  
• Jane Fonda as Gloria (nominated by Peary for an Alternate Oscar as Best Actress of the Year
  
• Red Buttons as Sailor
  
• Fine cinematography and period detail
  
• Fredric Steinkamp’s relentless editing
  

Must See?
Yes, for its historical significance and undeniable impact. Nominated as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars book.

Categories

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

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Intrigue and chaos abound at the society wedding of a working-class redhead (Amy Stryker) and her half-Italian fiance (Desi Arnaz Jr.).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carol Burnett Films
• Class Relations
• Comedy
• Ensemble Cast
• Family Problems
• Geraldine Chaplin Films
• Lillian Gish Films
• Mia Farrow Films
• Robert Altman Films
• Weddings

Review:
A Wedding came about as the result of Altman’s joking comment that perhaps he should film a wedding as his next project; the result, though not all that well received by critics, is one of his most amusing and engaging comedies. Anyone who’s either participated in or planned a wedding knows that glitches and emotional meltdowns are inevitable; here, Altman satirizes this inevitability by simply turning everything up a notch — starting with the concealed death of a matriarch (Lillian Gish) at the beginning of the film, and ending with a fatal car crash. Altman had famously brought 24 characters together for Nashville (1977), and decided (presumably just for kicks) to double this number in A Wedding; naturally, not all these characters get their due, but his masterful interweaving of so many disparate storylines works remarkably well.

Interestingly, the characters one would consider most central to the event — that is, the bride (unknown, braces-clad Amy Stryker) and her groom (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) — are among the most peripheral; only gradually do we learn what brought them together, and they never become fully developed protagonists. While their future happiness is threatened a few times throughout the film — by Arnaz’s former high society girlfriend (Pam Dawber), by Stryker’s wigged-out sister (Mia Farrow), and, later, in an infamous shower scene, by Arnaz’s military academy roommate — this isn’t really the primary thrust of the story; there isn’t one.

The most humorous of the film’s many subplots concerns beefy Pat McCormick’s relentless pursuit of Carol Burnett (mother-of-the-bride) — not out of lust, as we might expect, but from a pure conviction that she is his long-lost soul-mate. While Burnett’s cinematic performances are often (as here) over-the-top, she does a hilarious job showing her character’s gradual shift from absolute lack of comprehension to giddy acceptance of McCormick’s overtures. Meanwhile, deeper familial dramas (such as Nina Van Pallandt’s drug addiction, and the truth behind her marriage to Vittorio Gassman, who seems to have mafia ties) are handled with both humor and sensitivity. Part of Altman’s genius lies in the way he treats all his characters — no matter how minor — with respect; we sense that each has an interesting story to tell, if only we had the time to spend with them.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Pat McCormick’s zealous pursuit of Carol Burnett
  
• Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt as Mr. and Mrs. Corelli
  
• Howard Duff as lecherous Dr. Meecham
  
• Countless unexpected moments of bizarre humor
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as one of Altman’s funniest films.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
Openly-gay politician Harvey Milk finally achieves a seat on San Francisco’s city council, only to be assassinated shortly thereafter by his bitter colleague, Dan White.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Documentary
• Homosexuality

Review:
Rob Epstein’s Oscar-winning documentary about the tragic assassination of California’s first openly-gay politician has generated renewed interest given the 2008 release of Gus Van Sant’s Milk (starring Sean Penn in an Oscar-winning performance as Harvey Milk). Those who’ve seen Milk and would like to learn more about Milk’s rise to political prominence would do well to check out this conventionally crafted but provocative film; together, the two movies provide a rich portrait of a man who dared to live his life honestly and openly, despite the risks he inevitably faced. And Penn’s performance is simply that much more impressive after seeing the real Milk in action.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An engaging portrait of Milk’s charismatic rise to power
  
• Touching testimonials by friends and colleagues of Milk
  
• Effective incorporation of archival footage
  

Must See?
Yes, as an Oscar-winning documentary.

Categories

• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• SF Gate Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
Two con-artists (Clark Gable and Jean Harlow) fall in love, but are separated when pregnant Ruby (Harlow) takes the rap for Eddie (Gable) and is sent to a reform school.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Clark Gable Films
• Con-Artists
• Jean Harlow Films
• Morality Police
• Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
After the success of their pairing in Red Dust (1932), Jean Harlow and Clark Gable teamed up once again for this financially successful but ultimately disappointing tale of doomed con-artists in love. The story — scripted by Anita Loos — starts off with plenty of zingy potential (Harlow and Gable have great chemistry together, naturally), but — per the directive of Louis B. Mayer, who wanted Ruby to “pay for her sins” — eventually devolves into sappy melodrama. As noted in David Boxwell’s analysis of the film for Senses of Cinema, it represents “a fascinating mix of racy pre-Code cynicism and post-Code sentimentality and piety”. Hold Your Man is worth a look for its first half, but ultimately not must-see viewing.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Harlow and Gable’s initial “meet cute” in the bathtub
  

Must See?
No, though Harlow and/or Gable fans will likely be curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article