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Synopsis:
During World War II, a German ski instructor-turned-lieutenant (Marlon Brando) falls for a French woman (Liliane Montevecchi) and grows increasingly cynical while accompanying his ruthless captain (Maximilian Schell) in North Africa, and eventually visiting Schell’s flirtatious wife (May Britt). Meanwhile, two American recruits — a privileged musical star (Dean Martin) whose loyal girlfriend (Barbara Rush) once dated Brando, and Dean’s new Jewish friend (Montgomery Clift), who marries a WASP-ish girl (Hope Lange) — head over to Germany to fight, eventually encountering Brando.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Barbara Rush Films
• Dean Martin Films
• Edward Dmytryk Films
• Hope Lange Films
• Lee Van Cleef Films
• Marlon Brando
• Maximilian Schell Films
• Montgomery Clift Films
• Soldiers
• World War II

Review:
Formerly blacklisted director Edward Dmytryk helmed this nearly-three-hour adaptation of Irwin Shaw’s 1948 novel, covering the trajectories of three different soldiers and their girls during World War II. Other than the convenient intersection of Brando and Rush in the film’s earliest scenes (at a ski resort):

… it’s difficult to understand why these particular storylines have been pulled together, other than to show us how American and German lives inevitably intersected. To that end, Martin’s character gets the film’s best line, spoken early on when he’s explaining his resistance to fighting:

“Look, I’ve read all the books. I know that in 10 years we’ll be bosom friends with the Germans and the Japanese. Then I’ll be pretty annoyed that I was killed.”

indeed, given that this film was released more than 10 years after the end of the war, some perspective had been gained — and it was likely easier for viewers to empathize with a conflicted Nazi like Brando.

Schell, on the other hand (in his American screen debut), simply oozes Aryan arrogance:

… representing everything about the Nazis’ approach to life and war that Brando comes to detest. Meanwhile, it’s unclear what kind of “understanding” Schell has with his beautiful wife (Britt), who almost instantly propositions Brando when he goes to visit her (at Schell’s request):

Brando’s other would-be love interest — patriotic Francoise (Montvecchi) — seems included simply to show his conflicted desire for more than Germany.

On the American side of things, the storyline about Clift’s “Noah Ackerman” hints at parallels to his character in From Here to Eternity (1953) — though this time he chooses to fight in order to stand up against (anti-Semitic) bullies who have stolen his money and are determined to give him a hard time:

Lange is appealing as Clift’s romantic partner waiting for him back at home, and her character’s world also exposes us to a bit more of America’s thinly veiled anti-Semitism when we hear her father (Vaughn Taylor) — who “never knew a Jew before” — openly telling Clift he wishes “to heaven [he’d] turn around and get on [a] bus and never see” his daughter again. (He has a change of heart.)

Martin’s “Michael Whiteacre” is the least developed of the three; we simply see him as a man who initially resists joining the army, but knows he must eventually move past his cowardice.

All three men grow and mature in some way, which is refreshing — but the overall storyline isn’t quite satisfying enough to recommend this one.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Joseph MacDonald’s CinemaScope cinematography
  

Must See?
No; it’s only must-see for fans of the lead actors.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
During World War II, the beloved executive officer (Henry Fonda) of a cargo ship repeatedly requests a transfer to be able to engage in combat, but is denied by his unreasonably insecure captain (James Cagney), who also refuses to grant his men — including Ensign Pulver (Jack Lemmon) — a much-deserved leave; will Mister Roberts (Fonda) prevail on their behalf?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Betsy Palmer Films
• Henry Fonda Films
• Jack Lemmon Films
• James Cagney Films
• John Ford Films
• Joshua Logan Films
• Mervyn Le Roy Films
• Play Adaptations
• Ruthless Leaders
• Ward Bond Films
• William Powell Films
• World War II

Review:
This adaptation of Joshua Logan’s long-running Broadway play — itself based on a 1946 novel by Thomas Heggen — was fraught with directorial challenges: John Ford began the film but was eventually replaced by Mervyn LeRoy (with some scenes directed by Logan himself). Apparently Ford and Fonda — who starred in the lead role on Broadway for seven years:

— had a major falling out, ending their 16 year friendship and string of 8 films together. However, the resulting movie was no worse for wear as far as audiences were concerned, given that they made it the second highest grossing film of the year. Jimmy Cagney plays a Bligh/Queeg type of power-tripping naval leader, though no reason is given for his attitude other than class resentment.

William Powell gave his final screen performance as a laid-back ship’s doctor who is friends with Fonda:

… and Jack Lemmon won an Oscar for his supporting role as lazy Ensign Pulver, who is primarily interested in doing as little as possible other than bedding a beautiful nurse (Betsy Palmer):

Speaking of beautiful nurses, a bevy of them are conveniently spotted across the way, and end up on board the ship:

… while the local natives are exoticized on behalf of the men’s R&R.

Unfortunately, the humor in this film — including the men ogling the nurses using spyglasses and binoculars:

… Powell and Fonda crafting a faux-rum for Lemmon using grain alcohol, Coke, iodine, and hair tonic:

… Cagney’s obsession with a palm tree:

… and the men getting stinking drunk while on leave:

— hasn’t aged well. We primarily enjoy watching Fonda in a role he wears like a glove, epitomizing a man who does the right and decent thing without anticipating anything in return. Fonda makes this film worth a one-time look, but it’s not must-see viewing otherwise.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Henry Fonda as Mister Roberts
  
• Fine CinemaScope cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though Oscar completists will want to see it. Listed as a film with Historical Importance 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
• TCM Article
• Trailer From Hell Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
During World War I, Captain Flagg (James Stewart) resists marrying his French sweetheart (Corinne Calvert), instead trying to get her hitched to his career-long rival, Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey). Meanwhile, a handsome young recruit (Robert Wagner) falls for a beautiful local girl (Marisa Pavan), but ongoing battles pull all the men away from their love lives.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dan Dailey Films
• James Cagney Films
• John Ford Films
• Love Triangle
• Rivalry
• Robert Wagner Films
• World War I Films

Review:
John Ford directed this colorful but unsatisfying adaptation of Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings’ play (first made as a silent film by Raoul Walsh in 1926). My sentiments about this film are just about the same as for Walsh’s version, which I was similarly unimpressed with. Cagney and Dailey’s ongoing rivalry takes center stage at the expense of any other narrative hook:

… and Calvert is simply relegated to the role of a beautiful pawn whose only option to make it to Paris is seemingly to marry one of them:

We get to see handsome Wagner and lovely Pavan falling for one another (they even sing a romantic multilingual duet):

… but there’s nothing else to their relationship, either. This one is strictly must-see for Ford completists.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine cinematography by Joseph MacDonald
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A young boy (Johnathan Ashmore) whose mother (Celia Johnson) works for a London tailor (David Kossoff) longs to find a unicorn that will grant his wishes — including his long-gone dad returning home from Africa; acquiring a new pressing machine for Kossoff; and helping a body-building sewist (Joe Robinson) in Kosoff’s shop earn enough money to marry his sexy sweetheart (Diana Dors). When Ashmore encounters a baby goat (a kid) with just one horn, he believes he’s found his unicorn, and gets right to work requesting wishes; meanwhile, Robinson reluctantly agrees to engage in paid matches with a bullying wrestler (Primo Carnera), who has his own eye on Dors.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carol Reed Films
• Pets
• Wrestling

Review:
Carol Reed directed this quaint tale of a young boy whose belief in magic drives all the subplots in the film’s bustling narrative, which takes place within a colorful cityscape of eclectic characters:

Ashmore is charming as sweet Joe:

… though we don’t actually get to know him too well, given that his own needs and wishes are overshadowed by the dominant subplot between Robinson (who aspires obsessively towards body-building fame):

… and Dors, who oh-so-desperately wants to get a ring put on it:

These two are indeed gorgeous specimens, but unfortunately not all that bright or interesting. Meanwhile, Carnera’s oafish “Python” is a hiss-worthy but purely one-dimensional villain (below he’s trying to strangle Joe’s “unicorn”):

The most magical scenes are those simply showing the hustle and bustle of Joe’s child’s-eye view of the world:

… as his harried mother (Johnson) struggles to keep up with solo parenting and work:

… and Kossoff tries to bargain his way into purchasing his competitor’s old pressing machine:

The wrestling scenes are pure filler — though I suppose they fit with the film’s overall theme of showing everyday, working-class life and entertainment.

Fans of Carol Reed will want to check this one out simply to see the variety and creativity of his output, but it’s not must-see viewing for all film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Edward Scaife’s cinematography
  
  
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
In Depression-era Georgia, a deluded farmer named Ty Ty (Robert Ryan) insists that his sons Buck (Jack Lord) and Shaw (Vic Morrow) dig holes in search of hidden treasure on their property, despite justified concerns from his sharecropper (Rex Ingram) that they should be spending their energy tilling the soil instead. Meanwhile, Ty Ty hires an albino “diviner” (Michael Landon) to try to determine the actual location of the treasure; Ty Ty’s daughter “Darlin’ Jill” (Fay Spain) flirts with the rotund would-be sheriff (Buddy Hackett) of the town; Buck worries that his gorgeous wife (Tina Louise) has eyes for the husband (Aldo Ray) of his sister Rosamund (Helen Westcott); Ty Ty reluctantly requests supplemental funding from his well-to-do son Jim Leslie (Lance Fuller); and Will (Ray) wants nothing more than to turn on the lights of a local factory that has been quiet for years.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aldo Ray Films
• Anthony Mann Films
• Deep South
• Family Problems
• Farming
• Gold Seeking
• Marital Problems
• Rex Ingram Films
• Robert Ryan Films

Review:
Anthony Mann directed this adaptation of Erkine Caldwell’s notoriously racy 1933 novel, with a script credited to Philip Yordan but purportedly penned by blacklisted screenwriter Ben Maddow. In her big-screen debut, Tina Louise of “Gilligan’s Island” fame instantly shows her appeal as a kind and sexy female always willing to lend a hand around the property:

Ryan, meanwhile, is all earnestness and goofy grins as the deluded father of the family (how in the world are they actually surviving?):

His imprisonment of an unwitting albino (Landon is unrecognizable) is painfully awkward to watch (though I guess we’re meant to… laugh?):

There’s “comic relief” provided through Hackett’s mega-crush on Spain:

— who also has the hots for Landon:

— but this humor falls terribly flat; and the central subplot about Ray’s intention to open the local mill back up is severely underdeveloped (I didn’t understand its initial closure was due to wage cut protests until I read more about the novel):

What we’re mostly watching for in this film are the inevitable tensions building between Louise and Ray, who do indeed come across as hot and steamy with one another:

The film’s primary selling point is its visual beauty, with stunning b&w cinematography by Ernest Haller:

Overall, however, this film about familial tensions and power plays hasn’t really held up well — but given that it was apparently one of Mann’s personal favorites, fans of his work will of course want to check it out.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Tina Louise as Griselda
  
• Ernest Haller’s cinematography
  

Must See?
No; skip this one unless you’re curious. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
When a black singer (Ava Gardner) is kicked off her show boat for passing as white, her role is taken over by the daughter (Kathryn Grayson) of the boat’s captain (Joe E. Green), whose disapproving wife (Agnes Moorehead) is none too happy. Meanwhile, Grayson falls for a big-time gambler (Howard Keel) who marries her and whisks her away — but will Keel’s luck last forever?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Actors and Actresses
• Agnes Moorehead Films
• Ava Gardner Films
• Gambling
• George Sidney Films
• Howard Keel Films
• Kathryn Grayson Films
• Marital Problems
• Musicals
• Play Adaptations

Review:
MGM’s Technicolor remake of Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern’s 1927 stage musical — itself based on Edna Ferber’s best-selling novel — is colorful escapist fare (it was the second highest grossing film of the year), dodging the storyline’s most challenging aspects (i.e., miscegenation) in favor of a melodramatic soaper. It’s certainly beautiful to look at:

… and we get to hear beautiful renditions of some of the show’s most famous songs, including “Ol’ Man River” (sung by William Warfield):

… “Can’t Help Loving’ Dat Man”:

… “Make Believe”:

… and “My Bill”:

… but the storyline has been completely whitewashed (see the Adaptation section of Wikipedia’s entry for a detailed comparison with James Whale’s 1936 version). The remaining narrative is not all that compelling; when Grayson falls for a career-gambler (Keel):

… what kind of life does she expect to lead other than one that inevitably becomes volatile? Meanwhile, Gardner’s Julie (as show fans know) simply turns increasingly alcoholic and despondent, which is no fun at all. Fans of the musical will of course want to check this version out, but it’s not must-see viewing for all film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine Technicolor cinematography
  
• Several memorable musical sequences
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Trailers From Hell Review
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
In Apartheid-ridden South Africa, a rural black minister (Canada Lee) journeys to Johannesburg and receives help from a fellow minister (Sidney Poitier) in seeking out his sick sister Gertrude (Ribbon Dhlamini), his successful brother John (Edric Connor), and his long-lost son Absalom (Lionel Ngakane), who has impregnated a teenager (Vivien Clinton) and commits a crime that deeply impacts the lives of a white farmer (Charles Carson) and his wife (Joyce Carey).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Africa
• Father and Child
• Priests and Ministers
• Racism and Race Relations
• Sidney Poitier Films
• Zoltan Korda Films

Review:
Director Zoltan Korda’s next-to-last film was this bold (for its time) adaptation of Alan Paton’s 1948 novel of the same name. The storyline begins by following a man (Lee) encountering close family members again for the first time in years, learning about the paths their lives have taken, and reconciling their choices with his own faith and beliefs:

Along the way, we’re shown some of the realities of Apartheid-era South Africa, with pervasive poverty and challenging dilemmas all around:

The crime at the center of the film is appropriately shocking, and leads us swiftly towards its second half, as the impact of systemic racism and crime on citizens from all walks of life is explored:

There are no easy answers, but thankfully, we see shifts-for-the-better occurring as a result of tragedy, with Carson coming to understand the power of the work his activist-son (Henry Blumenthal) had been engaging in before his death.

The fact that Lee and Poitier — in just his second film role after No Way Out (1950) — had to be smuggled into South Africa as “indentured laborers”, and endured bitterly harsh restrictions while there, speaks directly to the challenges inherent in making this film, which remains worth a look given its unprecedented exploration of issues otherwise untouched in mainstream cinema of the time.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Canada Lee as the Reverend Stephen Kumalo
  
• Charles Carson as James Jarvis
  
• A powerful glimpse of Apartheid-era South Africa
  

Must See?
Yes, for its historical value and as a quietly powerful film.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Shortly after Roman general Julius Caesar (Louis Calhern) returns home from battle, several conspirators — including Cassius (John Gielgud), Brutus (James Mason), and Casca (Edmond O’Brien) — plot to assassinate him in order to prevent him from becoming dictator; however, they don’t realize how vengeful Marc Antony (Marlon Brando) will become upon the death of his beloved mentor.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ancient Greece and Rome
• Assassination
• Deborah Kerr Films
• Edmond O’Brien Films
• George Macready Films
• Greer Garson Films
• Historical Drama
• James Mason Films
• John Gielgud Films
• Joseph L. Mankiewicz Films
• Louis Calhern Films
• Marlon Brando Films
• Play Adaptations
• Revenge
• Shakespeare

Review:
Marlon Brando impressed critics (and earned his third Academy Award nomination in a row) by transforming from mumbling Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) to assertive statesman Marc Antony in this faithful adaptation of Shakespeare’s historic play, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz on sets left over from Quo Vadis (1951). The first half of the storyline is the most powerful, as we see loyal Mason torn over his decision to participate in the assassination of his friend and leader:

… and Caesar ignoring pleas from his wife Capurnia (Greer Garson) to stay home, given premonitions she’s had:

The death scene itself, with one of the most famous lines in all of history (“Et tu, Brute?”), is well filmed:

… as is Antony’s famous response and speech to the masses: “Friends, Romans, countrymen — lend me your ears!”

Gorgeous Deborah Kerr barely registers as Brutus’s wife Portia — though that’s more a function of the storyline than her character, who essentially disappears:

The remainder of the narrative focuses on vengeance for Caesar’s death, though it’s surprisingly action-free (other than the Battle of Philippi). Viewers will likely be most curious throughout to listen for famous lines of dialogue and turns of phrase, including the following:

Caesar: “Cowards die many times before their death. The valiant never taste of death but once.”

Calpurnia: “Caesar, I have never stood on ceremonies.”

Antony: “Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war!”

Antony: “This was the most unkindest cut of all.”

Watch for Edmond O’Brien as Casca, who gets to speak the line, “It was Greek to me.”

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• James Mason as Brutus
  
• Marlon Brando as Antony
  
• Fine cinematography and sets
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look as a finely mounted Shakespearean production.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
Poor young Texan Audie Murphy (playing himself) initially struggles to get accepted into the armed forces, but soon becomes a decorated war hero.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Audie Murphy Films
• Biopics
• Soldiers
• World War II

Review:
This Technicolor adaptation of Audie Murphy’s 1949 autobiography is an earnest if by-the-books depiction of how Murphy came to receive “every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism” — all by the age of 19 (!).

As the film opens, we see young Audie (Gordon Gebert) offering to quit school and work to help support his single mother (Mary Field) and large share-cropping family in Texas:

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Murphy tries without luck to enter into the Navy and Marine Corps before finally being accepted into the Army.

Once he’s out on the battlefields of North Africa, Italy, and France, Murphy (who, for the record, was loathe to portray himself on film) quickly shows himself to be humble, beloved, and exceedingly brave:

As noted in the New York Times’ original review of this film, it “has the twin virtues of truth and Audie Murphy to support it” — and audiences at the time apparently agreed, making it Universal Studios’ top-grossing movie until Jaws (1975). Be sure to read TCM’s article for additional insights into the making of this film, as well as Murphy’s response.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• A fine tribute to Murphy’s modest heroism
  

Must See?
No; while it’s worth a look for its historical relevance, this one is only must-see for Murphy fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Disabled French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Jose Ferrer) paints and documents the entertainment world of late-19th century Paris while drinking heavily and falling in love with a prostitute (Colette Marchand) who breaks his heart. Will Toulouse-Lautrec allow himself to fall for a genteel art-lover (Suzanne Flon) patiently waiting in the wings?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Artists
• Biopics
• Christopher Lee Films
• Disabilities
• Historical Drama
• John Huston Films
• Jose Ferrer Films
• Peter Cushing Films
• Prostitutes and Gigolos

Review:
John Huston directed this visually stunning fictional biopic of famed French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, whose leg growth was stunted at an early age:

… and who developed a lifelong drinking habit while honing his artistic talents in the nightclubs and brothels of Paris:

Huston and his artistic team — including cinematographer Oswald Morris, color specialist Eliot Elisofon, costume and set designer Marcel Vertes, and art director Paul Sheriff — present a vividly magical recreation of Toulouse-Lautrec’s world, with scenes from his prolific paintings, posters, and drawings seemingly coming to life in front of our eyes:

The first half of the storyline centers primarily on Toulouse-Lautrec’s love affair with a feisty, insecure prostitute (Colette Marchand) whose poverty-ridden past has left her desperately cynical: “I’m scum. Real scum. That’s why you hang on to me.”

As Toulouse-Lautrec describes her later:

“Her past was too strong for her. The world she lives in is a jungle, where people prowl like wild animals. They go without eating when the game is scarce. And when there is a kill, they claw and bite each other over it. It is a world of cruelty and cunning. But it is free. I put chains on her; they only made her vicious… In the jungle they feel neither pity nor revulsion. The sight of me did not offend her as a woman… Her eyes were wide open. She loved me for what I am.”

While Marchand’s character appears to be fictional, it’s clear that she represents the “type” of woman Toulouse-Lautrec felt himself resigned to and worthy of. As a “mutant” creature rejected in some fashion by both his aristocratic parents (though his caring mother tries to reach out), he lived his brief life (dying from alcoholism and syphilis at the age of 36) among those who — like him — understood hardship, constant pain, and the need for escape. To that end, the best scenes, woven throughout, show Toulouse-Lautrec gaining inspiration from the world around him and turning this into his incomparable artwork.

Watch for Zsa Zsa Gabor as Can Can dancer and singer Jane Avril:

… Christopher Lee in an unbilled cameo as Georges Seurat:

… and Peter Cushing as a competing love interest for a woman (Flor) hoping Toulouse-Lautrec will open his heart to her:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Jose Ferrer as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec
  
• Colette Marchand as Marie
  
• Oswald Morris’s cinematography (with Eliot Elisofon’s color consultancy)
  
• Fine sets and costumes
  

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

Links:

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