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Synopsis:
A crime boss (Brian Donlevy) in love with the daughter (Veronica Lake) of an aspiring politician (Moroni Olsen) asks his right-hand man (Alan Ladd) to help smooth over a sticky situation involving Lake’s brother (Richard Denning) owing money to a gambler (Joseph Calleia) whose henchman (William Bendix) takes perverse pleasure in beating people up; meanwhile, Denning’s girlfriend (Bonita Granville) — also Donlevy’s sister — tries desperately to help her boyfriend stay out of trouble.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Ladd Films
• Bonita Granville Films
• Brian Donlevy Films
• Murder Mystery
• Political Corruption
• Veronica Lake Films
• William Bendix Films

Review:
This second cinematic adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s 1931 novel — following a 1935 version co-starring George Raft and Edward Arnold — was directed by Stuart Heisler and is generally considered the better of the two. Made the same year Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake co-starred in This Gun For Hire (1942), audiences were eager to see the petite couple reunited on screen:

Unfortunately, their performances get off to a rocky start, with too many repetitive shots simply showing them giving each other a knowing glance when they first meet:

Donlevy is more effective as the gullible mobster taken in by everyone around him:

… though it’s supporting players Bonita Granville:

… and thuggish William Bendix:

… who really stand out as authentically engaged in their roles. Indeed, Bendix’s gleeful sadism is perhaps the film’s most memorable aspect, with most of his lines revealing a single-minded focus on harming people:

“Hey, Rusty, Little Rubber Ball is back. I told you he liked the way we bounced him around.”

“Wait a minute, you mean I don’t get to smack Baby?”

“Hey, Gang! Meet the swellest guy I ever skinned a knuckle on.”

“I got just the place for me and you – a little room upstairs that’s too small for you to fall down in. I can bounce you around off the walls. That way we won’t be wasting a lot of time while you get up off the floor.”

“Go on, sit in any chair you want to sit in. If you don’t like that one, take another one. I want you to consider yourself my guest. We’ll have a couple of drinks, and then I’m gonna knock your teeth out.”

Storywise, the narrative is as complex as one would expect in such a twisted tale of criminality, politics, and love triangles; it’s too bad it all ends like a light-hearted rom-com.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Bonita Granville as Opal
  
• William Bendix as Jeff
  
• Noirish cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No, though fans of Lake will likely want to check it out.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
In post-apocalyptic England, survivors of a nuclear blast — including a pregnant young woman (Rita Tushingham) and her boyfriend (Richard Warwick), Tushingham’s parents (Mona Washbourne and Arthur Lowe), a police sergeant (Dudley Moore) and inspector (Peter Cook), a captain (Michael Hordern), a dress-wearing male nurse (Marty Feldman), an eccentric man living in a shelter (Roy Kinnear), a wandering fireguard (Spike Milligan), and a lord (Ralph Richardson) slowly turning into a bed-sitting room — interact and wander the desolate landscape.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• Dudley Moore Films
• Nuclear Holocaust
• Play Adaptation
• Ralph Richardson Films
• Richard Lester Films
• Rita Tushingham Films

Review:
Described by TCM as director Richard “Lester’s most challenging film,” this bizarrely fantastical black comedy — based on a play by Spike Milligan, who also has a participating role — imagines what life might look and feel like for survivors of a nuclear blast. Given that the characters here are Britons, we see a rigid adherence to ritual and routine, with many seemingly unfazed by the drastic change around them and simply willing to adapt. When Washbourne is handed a death certificate, for instance, she’s sad but accepts it.

Richardson’s stuffy Lord Fortnum tries to protest the changes he feels happening to him:

… but is ultimately powerless, and turns into a lower-class “bedsit” room (he’s shown below in his new form, being given a “wellness check” by Hordern):

Other absurdities abound, including Tushingham being pregnant for 18 months with a monstrous creature, and being coerced into marrying lecherous Hordern in a cobbled ceremony:

… (though she simply continues her relationship with Warwick anyway). There are many more peripheral characters floating around the set (filmed “on location at a refuse dump in West Drayton, England”), but since none of them do anything particularly sensical, it’s challenging to provide a meaningful analysis of the storyline they exist in. Yes, a nuclear holocaust will surely wreak unimaginable havoc on our psyches, and many individuals may try to simply “carry on” as a way of coping — but I’m hard-pressed to see what other point there is to this rambling tale of post-apocalyptic absurdity.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• David Watkin’s innovative cinematography
  
• Some truly surreal imagery
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Spinning Image Review
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
When her boyfriend suddenly leaves one night and sublets their apartment, a woman (Marsha Mason) and her ten-year-old daughter (Quinn Cummings) find themselves living with an aspiring actor (Richard Dreyfuss) who grates on Mason’s nerves — but can the trio eventually learn to get along?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Actors and Actresses
• Herbert Ross Films
• Marsha Mason Films
• Neil Simon Films
• Richard Dreyfuss Films
• Romantic Comedy
• Single Mothers

Review:
Richard Dreyfuss became the youngest actor (at age 30) to win a Leading Role Oscar for his performance in this adaptation (directed by Herbert Ross) of an original screenplay by Neil Simon. The central idea originated between Simon and his then-wife Mason as a funny love story between smart people, hearkening back to the days of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. It was originally entitled Bogart Slept Here, and set to be directed by Mike Nichols, star Robert De Niro, and take place in Los Angeles — but due to a variety of circumstances, it shifted gears entirely to become a NYC-based romantic comedy with a different director and lead actor. Overall, the storyline works: giving ongoing (neverending?) housing crunches in New York, the exorbitant cost of living in that city, and the narcissism of actors (yes, it’s entirely believable that Mason’s self-absorbed boyfriend would just up-and-leave the way he did), we can imagine people stuck in a situation exactly like this one.

The real-life individuals wouldn’t sound quite so polished and acerbic in their dialogue and come-backs, of course — but the overall tension feels real. (Who hasn’t been forced at some point to live with less-than-ideal roommates, and make some compromises?) Less convincing to me is that a single mom like Mason would allow herself to rely entirely on a (married) boyfriend for financial support in New York; we see humorous vignettes of her trying to get back in shape to perform as a dancer, but what has she been doing in the meantime?

Eventually, of course, Mason and Dreyfuss fall for one another — and whether you buy the authenticity of their trajectory (and care for them at all) will determine your appreciation for this film. Thankfully, the young actress playing Mason’s daughter (Cummings) Lucy is natural (i.e., not-annoying):

… and while both Dreyfuss and Mason are somewhat manic, we’re willing to excuse this given that they’re both performers in a high-stress city. I found myself rooting for them by the end, and pleased by how things turned out.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Richard Dreyfuss as Elliot
  
• Marsha Mason as Paula
  
• Quinn Cummings as Lucy
  
• Good use of authentic NYC locales
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• Spinning Image Review
• TCM Articles

Synopsis:
A one-time ’60s radical turned private eye (Richard Dreyfuss) teams up with a former lover (Susan Anspach) to investigate smear tactics being used against a gubernatorial candidate (John Cunningham).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Bonnie Bedelia Films
• Counterculture
• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Richard Dreyfuss Films

Review:
Richard Dreyfuss co-produced and starred in this L.A.-based detective flick centering on a formal student radical named Moses Wine. Moses accepts jobs as they come, often taking his two young sons with him on his work adventures across the city:

… but otherwise sitting alone in his apartment gambling, smoking weed, listening to music, watching T.V., or playing “Clue” to keep his sleuthing wits sharp.

Roger L. Simon’s screenplay — based on his own novel — does an excellent job portraying the sense of nostalgia and confusion felt by many Baby Boomers once the headiest days of protest were over. We learn that Moses drifted into a marriage that has since devolved, with his ex-wife (Bonnie Bedelia) now dating an obnoxious New Age man (Ron Rifkin) involved in a group called BEST (sound like “EST”, anyone?).

Moses feels a sense of rejuvenation when he meets up with a former flame (Anspach) who convinces him to take a job:

… but things soon turn very dark, leading Moses on a labyrinthine journey across various portions of Los Angeles. (The film’s sense of place and time is spot-on; I quickly found myself counting how many locations I could recognize — and there were quite a few.)

In true form for such a tale, we’re not always entirely sure what’s going on and who various characters are, but we get the gist, and it all eventually coheres. The diverse supporting cast is nicely filled out, with John Lithgow as Cunningham’s mysterious campaign manager:

… and F. Murray Abraham playing a notorious former radical:

Watch also for Mandy Patinkin in a bit role (his big-screen debut) as a bumbling pool cleaner:

While it’s not must-see viewing, this well-made film moves along at an engaging pace and will certainly appeal to fans of private eye flicks.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Richard Dreyfuss as Moses Wine
  
• Fine supporting performances
  
  
• Excellent use of many authentic L.A. locales
  
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
A petty thief (Trevor Howard) seeks refuge with a charitable captain (Ralph Richardson) who takes him to an island outpost where Richardson’s son-in-law (Robert Morley) lives with his wife (Wendy Hiller) and child (Annabel Morley). Howard soon falls for the beautiful daughter (Kerima) of the village chief (A.V. Bramble), and schemes to offer them secret navigation tips — but can Howard find loyalty and safety with the natives?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carol Reed Films
• Femmes Fatales
• Ralph Richardson Films
• Native Peoples
• Robert Morley Films
• Trevor Howard Films
• Wendy Hiller Films

Review:
Following his success with Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Third Man (1949), Carol Reed directed this action-packed adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s 1896 novel. While it’s lauded by some (DVD Savant, for instance, refers to it as “exceptional”, and notes that it was “an intense experience that floored” him when he first saw it), I find its storyline of an unrepentent anti-hero to be less than satisfying.

We understand that Richardson — who first took Howard under his wing at the age of 12 — hopes Howard will redeem himself, but it’s not really clear how. Yes, Howard helps Richardson navigate his boat through undeniably tricky channels:

… but expecting Howard to simply “stay put” at the trading post seems disastrously naive.

There’s plenty of tension and atmosphere in Morley’s household, and the casting of Morley’s real-life look-alike daughter Annabel seems inspired:

But whenever Reed’s wandering camera pans across the locals looking with bemusement, wonder, or disdain at the whites around them (who can blame them?), we’re reminded this is primarily a tale of a self-created “outcast” who really can’t (won’t) fit in anywhere.

We also know right away that Howard’s obsession with sultry, wild-eyed Kerima (giving a one-note performance) will inevitably lead him down a path of ruin:

The problem is, we don’t really care what happens to him, and are equally unsure how to feel about the troubles obnoxious Morley gets himself into:

In the film’s favor are beautiful cinematography and fine location shooting in Sri Lanka (matched with studio footage done back in England); however, only fans of Reed’s work should consider this must-see.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Trevor Howard as Willems
  
• Fine supporting performances
  
  
  
• Atmospheric sets
  
  
• Excellent location shooting and cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No, though Carol Reed fans will certainly want to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• CineSavant Review

Synopsis:
When their dad (Fred Foresman) is brutally murdered by his greedy former business partner (William Conrad), a young woman (Susan Howard) and her two sisters (Claudia Jennings and Maureen McCormick) refuse to give up his secretly buried stash of aged whiskey, instead seeking help from a local racer (John Saxon) in outwitting Conrad and his men.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Bootlegging
• Claudia Jennings Films
• Deep South
• Inheritance
• John Saxon Films
• Strong Females

Review:
Following her lead in The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976), Claudia Jennings took a less central role in this backwoods adventure flick about three feisty females protecting their rightful inheritance and planning to make a bundle selling their dad’s secret stock of whiskey:

This film is mildly notable for featuring Maureen McCormick in a post-“Brady Bunch” role playing the wide-eyed youngest sister “Sissy” (that’s sure a change from oldest-sister Marcia Brady!):

… and should be commended for portraying the three sisters (well, primarily the two older ones) as competent, resilient, and resourceful rather than merely passive sex objects. Otherwise, it’s a fairly standard (if well made) drive-in flick featuring lots of car chases (and crashes) on dusty roads:

… and a minor romantic subplot that doesn’t take up too much space, but allows Saxon to play an important supporting role:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• A refreshing depiction of strong young females standing up to a local bully
  

Must See?
No, though fans of such flicks will of course want to check it out. Listed as a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
A sailor (Bruno Ganz) on indefinite personal leave in Lisbon romances a waitress (Teresa Madruga) while writing letters and sending videos to his partner (Julie Vonderlinn) back home.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alain Tanner Films
• Bruno Ganz Films
• Expatriates
• Sailors
• Swiss Films

Review:
Peary lists five of Swiss director Alain Tanner’s films in his GFTFF: Charles, Dead or Alive (1969), La Salamandre (1971), The Middle of the World (1974), Jonah Who Will Be 25 In the Year 2000 (1976), and this solipsistic drama of a man hoping to somehow unmoor himself from the world while still remaining very much in it. Thank goodness Ganz — a highly watchable actor — is in the lead role, since he helps us remain engaged far longer than we otherwise would.

However, it’s difficult to sympathize with a man who unself-consciously proclaims things like, “I’m a liar who wants to be sincere” and “If all clocks went backwards, the world would work properly.”

Madruga is appealing as Ganz’s Portuguese love interest, and it’s easy to see why he falls for her:

… but it’s infuriating watching Ganz write letters to his partner back home, assuming she will simply put up with him telling her about his new lover.

(Vonderlinn gets rightfully pissed off at him at one point, but then is back to waiting patiently for his letters — this is a film made from a male-privileged point of view, after all.) The biggest selling point of the movie is the gorgeous cinematography of Lisbon, which does indeed look like a city one wouldn’t mind getting lost in for awhile.

It’s too bad the narrative, such as it is (it was apparently largely improvised), doesn’t do the city justice.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Bruno Ganz as Paul
  
• Beautiful cinematography
  

Must See?
No; this one is only for fans of Ganz or Tanner. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
An orphaned teenager (Jacques Gagnon) living in the countryside with his aunt (Olivette Thibault) and uncle (Jean Duceppe) helps them run their general goods store and undertaker business — but when tragedy strikes a local family, Gagnon learns some harsh truths about his adoptive parents.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Canadian Films
• Christmas
• Coming-of-Age
• Death and Dying
• Orphans

Review:
Named as one of the best — if not the best — Canadian film for many years, this coming-of-age drama by renowed Quebecois director Claude Jutra (d. 1986) has since been marked by scandal given revelations about Jutra’s alleged abuse of minors for years. (Awards named after Jutra were quickly stripped of that title, as were local streets and parks in Quebec.) With that said, on its own merits, Mon Oncle Antoine remains a well-made, heartfelt film with a strong sense of time, location, and fully human characters.

The storyline is episodic in nature, but all takes place within one Christmas holiday, thus adding to the sense of communal festivity:

We learn quite a bit about the town from action taking place at or near the general store, where folks gather not only to purchase items but to gawk at others (as when Gagnon sneaks a peak at the town beauty trying on a girdle):

… to celebration (as when a young woman comes in asking for a bridal veil and drinks are served all around).

Eventually, however, more challenging events and dilemmas emerge, forcing Gagnon to accept that the world he’s growing into is flawed and confusing; at one point, he literally takes the reins from the ineffectual adults around him:

Fans of coming-of-age films will certainly want to check this film out, and it’s of general interest to film fanatics given its status within Canadian (specifically Quebecois) film history.

Note: Jutra himself co-stars as an assistant at the store who appreciates Thibault’s middle-aged charms:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Michel Brault’s cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, once, for its historical relevance.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Criterion Essay
• Q Network Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An unhappily married woman (Isabelle Huppert) has an affair with and becomes pregnant by an unemployed man (Gerard Depardieu) she meets at a nightclub, but continues to visit her husband (Guy Marchand) on the side.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cross-Class Romance
• French Films
• Gerard Depardieu Films
• Isabelle Huppert Films
• Love Triangle
• Marital Problems
• Sexuality

Review:
Director Maurice Pialat made numerous shorts before branching out into feature films, two of which are listed in Peary’s GFTFF: A Nos Amours (1983) and this earlier film about an unhappily married bourgeois woman seeking joy and sexual satisfaction from someone much more spontaneous and earthy than her husband.

Unfortunately, while the leads all give vibrant and nuanced performances, there isn’t much of a storyline to hang on to: we’re never clear whether Huppert is simply willing to put up with Depardieu’s criminal/lower-class lifestyle in exchange for their sex, or actually finds some kind of vicarious thrill from it herself.

Meanwhile, seeing Marchand abusing Huppert in the very first scene makes it hard to feel much sympathy for him at all.

Pialat’s films were purportedly somewhat autobiographical in nature (A Nos Amours similarly depicts familial dysfunction and escape through sex), so authenticity shines through — but to what end?

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Fine performances from the leads
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a fan of Pialat’s work.

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• BBC Review
• TV Guide Review
• Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A working class woman (Claudia Jennings) joins a local roller derby team and quickly rises to the top of her ranks — but will her key rival (Betty Anne Rees) fight back?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Claudia Jennings Films
• Rivalry
• Roger Corman Films
• Sports

Review:
Inspired by the production of another film about the roller derby circuit — Kansas City Bomber (1972) — Roger Corman produced this action-packed exploitation flick starring Playboy Playmate Claudia Jennings, whose fiery personality is put to good use. Jennings throws cat food at her (soon-to-be-ex) employer:

… goes for a joyride after nearly being savaged on a pool table by her teammates:

… doesn’t hesitate to point a gun at her lover (Jay Varela):

… and is feisty as all get-out in the rink:

At first this gutsiness serves her well, as she develops a fanbase (yes, that’s Princess Livingston of Russ Meyer fame in the crowd):

… stars in a few commercials — shown here with a teammate (Roberta Collins):

… and is able to afford some luxuries. (Watch for Kathleen Freeman in a tiny role as Karen’s mother.)

Eventually, however, the dog-eat-dog nature of such a brutal sport comes back to bite Karen — though she’s more than ready to fight in whatever ways she can.

Note: Martin Scorsese is credited as supervising editor, early in his career:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Claudia Jennings as Karen Walker
  
• Enoyable authentic footage of rolly derby-ing in action
  
  

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review
• TCM Article
• Spinning Image Review