Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Comments 1 comment

“Am I dreaming, or did I see a gorilla and a beautiful dame?”

Synopsis:
A nightclub owner (Robert Armstrong) convinces a young woman (Terry Moore) living in Africa to come to Hollywood with her giant ape, Joe, and perform in shows with a rodeo star (Ben Johnson) — but will Joe adjust to life on the stage rather than in the wild?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ben Johnson Films
  • Fantasy
  • Friendship
  • Primates
  • Ray Harryhausen Films
  • Terry Moore Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that while the “script wavers” for this “underrated fantasy gem about a friendly, incredibly strong 10-foot gorilla”, Joe remains “a fabulous, lovable (yet not completely domesticated) creature”, and “the special-effects and stop-motion work by King Kong‘s famous Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen are marvelous.” He praises the fact that “Joe actually seems real, so subtle are his movements and expressions” — which is indeed true; it’s easy to forget exactly how much work went into creating this pre-CGI film. Moore is sweet yet strong as Joe’s “owner”, and her dedication to ensuring he doesn’t remain stuck in a life of humiliation is endearing. The final sequence at the burning orphanage is genuinely harrowing.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen’s deservedly Oscar-winning special effects and animation

Must See?
Yes, for its historical relevance as Harryhausen’s breakthrough debut.

Categories

Links:

Apartment, The (1960)

Apartment, The (1960)

Comments 1 comment

“When you’re in love with a married man, you shouldn’t wear mascara.”

Synopsis:
An aspiring insurance clerk (Jack Lemmon) allows his married colleagues to use his apartment as a love nest in exchange for advancement opportunities at work — but when he falls in love with his building’s elevator operator (Shirley MacLaine) and learns she’s the mistress of his supervisor (Fred MacMurray), he begins to rethink his goals.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Billy Wilder Films
  • Fred MacMurray Films
  • Jack Lemmon Films
  • Infidelity
  • Love Triangle
  • Romantic Comedy
  • Shirley MacLaine Films
  • Suicide

Review:
The Apartment — directed by Billy Wilder and co-scripted by I.A.L. Diamond — won five Oscars (including Best Picture) and was nominated for five more, possibly as a belated or combined acknowledgement of the team’s comedy classic Some Like It Hot (1959) from the year before. In his Alternate Oscars, Peary gives the Best Picture award for 1960 to Psycho rather than this film, which he argues “was daring in its day because of the amorality of its characters and because it mixed humor with such serious elements as a suicide attempt”, but today is “somewhat dated and… still has a dubious premise”. While I can’t argue with Peary’s choice of Psycho as Best Picture, I disagree that this film — inspired by a sequence from David Lean’s Brief Encounter (1945) — is dubious or dated; it’s actually held up remarkably well on numerous fronts.

While one might question the need for a usable apartment when hotel rooms are readily available, it seems clear that this type of arrangement is about much more than a private space for sex: it’s about making the woman feel comfortable, happy, and unashamed of her fling (much easier in a fully furnished apartment with a kitchen, bar, sofa, and record player). It’s also, of course, about power: as an underling lost in a sea of other employees, Lemmon “freely” giving up his apartment night after night (even during bitterly cold weather, when he has nowhere else to go) is a way for him to demonstrate his loyalty and willingness to suffer in order to become part of the upper-echelon crowd. His aspiration story is a fascinating one, but so is MacLaine’s tale of woebegone romance — and the lives of the other supporting characters (including MacMurray, wonderfully cast against type here) are rich as well. Wilder’s direction, combined with Joseph LaShelle’s cinematography, create a seamy yet emotion-drenched world where unlikely couplings can take place, and power dynamics can eventually be disrupted.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jack Lemmon as C.C. Baxter (nominated as one of the Best Actors of the Year in Alternate Oscars)
  • Shirley MacLaine as Fran Kubelik
  • Fine supporting performances
  • Joseph LaShelle’s b&w cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine and deserving Oscar winner. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

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

Links:

It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)

It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)

Comments 2 comments

“I’m a scientist, commander — I don’t need to be reminded that your objectives are not necessarily my own.”

Synopsis:
A submarine commander (Kenneth Tobey) enlists the help of a pair of scientists (Faith Domergue and Donald Curtis) in identifying and snaring an atomically charged octopus wreaking havoc in the ocean — but will his romantic interest in Domergue get in the way of his military duties?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Love Triangle
  • Mutant Monsters
  • Ray Harryhausen Films
  • Science Fiction
  • Scientists

Review:
Special effects guru Ray Harryhausen’s next film after The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) (also co-starring Kenneth Tobey) was this similarly-themed mutant-monster flick, featuring impressive animation of an octopus (actually a six-tentacled creature — a.k.a. a “hexapus”) taking down the Golden Gate Bridge. As narrative filler, we’re given an unintentionally chuckle-worthy love triangle between Domergue, Tobey, and Curtis, filled with plenty of thinly veiled sexual allure (Domergue strokes beakers in her lab while Tobey first converses with her) and amusing banter — such as Tobey mollifying the agitated Domergue by showing her he knows what she REALLY wants in a fancy restaurant:

Tobey (to Domergue): “We, my dear doctor, are going to dance.” (To Curtis): “With your permission, sir.”
Curtis: “Live it up, children.”
Domergue: “But… you haven’t even asked me!”
Tobey: “That’s the way we do it in the navy.”
Domergue: “But I haven’t even had my dinner!”
Tobey (to Curtis): “Would you order another t-bone, doctor?
Domergue: “I don’t like t-bones, and you’re being a fool!”
Curtis: “Don’t believe her, Pete. She says that to all the boys.”
Domergue: “You’re both being fools! Just because you’re men, you think that…”
Tobey (leaning in seductively): “Do you like lobster?
Domergue (tentatively): “Yes…”
Tobey: “Broiled, with garlic butter and parsley?”
Domergue (smiling and laughing): “Yes.”

This film is also notable for marking the beginning of Harryhausen’s decades-long collaboration with producer Charles Schneer, during which time they made 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), Mysterious Island (1961), First Men in the Moon (1964), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), and Clash of the Titans (1981).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Fun special effects by Ray Harryhausen

Must See?
Yes, for Harryhausen’s work, and as a representative “’50s monster movie”.

Categories

  • Representative Film

Links:

Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)

Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)

Comments 1 comment

“Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable! It is the one unforgivable thing, in my opinion, and the one thing of which I have never, never been guilty.”

Synopsis:
When a mentally and emotionally fragile woman (Vivien Leigh) comes to stay with her pregnant sister (Kim Hunter) and callous brother-in-law (Marlon Brando) in New Orleans, she struggles to hold on to her dignity, but experiences renewed hope for a bright future when she begins dating Brando’s co-worker (Karl Malden).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Deep South
  • Elia Kazan Films
  • Karl Malden Films
  • Kim Hunter Films
  • Marlon Brando Films
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Play Adaptation
  • Tennessee Williams Films
  • Vivien Leigh Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that in Elia Kazan’s Oscar-winning adaptation of the 1947 Broadway play, “Vivien Leigh gives an emotionally shattering performance as Blanche Dubois, the most vulnerable, bruised, and battered of Tennessee Williams’ tragic heroines,” whose “unhappy and humiliating past and the passing of her youth have left her on the brink of sanity”. Given that “brutish, t-shirt clad” Stanley (Brando) “won’t let her find needed escape and solace in her desperate flights into fantasy” — and they are stuck in stiflingly close quarters with one another — she eventually devolves and decomposes to the point of no return. Peary notes that while the “film is a bit theatrical — at times it looks like an old kinescope” — “Elia Kazan’s direction of actors was never better… and Brando’s devastating portrayal (‘Stella!!!’) is regarded as one of the screen’s greatest characterizations.”

In Alternate Oscars, Peary agrees with the Academy’s choice of Leigh as Best Actress of the Year, noting, “Those of us who see the optimistic twenty-six-year-old Leigh in Scarlett [from Gone With the Wind] surely see in Blanche the older Leigh who suffered from depression and experienced mental breakdowns”. Indeed, there’s “no doubt her own condition helped her sympathize with Blanche — at times it seems like she is exorcising her own demons.” He spends considerable time discussing how Blanche is “on her last legs” since “she has lost her youth” and “has no prospects”, and points out that the “part is difficult because Blanche has no foundation, no key that can be turned to put her back into the correct mode of motion and speech” — “not anymore”, given that “everything solid has been clawed out of her.” Only during a brief, “seemingly minor scene in which Blanche flirts with a young man who is collecting for the newspaper” does she “regain her power” and “shine” — at which point she is “wistful, poetic, haunting, alluring, and both amoral… and moral”.

Leigh’s performance is undeniably the centerpiece of this devastating film (one I find both challenging and mesmerizing to watch), but there is much more to make note of as well. Brando’s screen presence is a visceral gut-punch of brutality; while we completely understand Hunter’s physical attraction to him — and it makes sobering sense that she would put up with his domestic violence, given the warped nature of such enmeshments — it’s less easy to understand how she deals with his “subhuman” personality. Regardless, such is love and lust — and Hunter masterfully embodies her complex character in a way that allows us to stick with and believe in this aspect of the story. Also notable is the highly atmospheric cinematography by Harry Stradling, who sharply highlights nearly every scene in black-and-white contrast, showcasing the many extremes at play in this toxic swirl of a muggy landscape. Meanwhile, Alex North’s score is haunting, percussive, lyrical, and mystical — the perfect background to a gothic tale of madness.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois
  • Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski
  • Kim Hunter as Stella Kowalski
  • Karl Malden as Mitch
  • Harry Stradling’s cinematography

  • Atmospheric sets
  • Alex North’s score

Must See?
Yes, as a powerful cinematic adaptation of a classic play.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

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

Links:

Glass Key, The (1935)

Glass Key, The (1935)

Comments 1 comment

“That’s between me and Shad and the lamppost. And you ain’t no lamppost!”

Synopsis:
The loyal bodyguard (George Raft) of a politician (Edward Arnold) in love with the daughter (Claire Dodd) of another politician (Charles Richman) tries to protect his boss when he’s accused of murdering Richman’s son (Ray Milland).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Amateur Sleuths
  • Edward Arnold Films
  • George Raft Films
  • Murder Mystery
  • Ray Milland Films

Review:
This first of two cinematic adaptations of Dashiell Hammett’s novel — less well-known than the 1942 version co-starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake — is an efficiently told tale of a reasonably complex murder mystery. You’ll need to pay close attention to who’s who, who loves who, who protects who, and who is trying to get who. It’s interesting to watch Raft in what amounts to a nice guy role, doing what he can to get to the root of the mysterious murder. Note that Milland is only on-screen for about 10 minutes.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • George Raft as Ed Beaumont
  • Atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
No, though Hammett fans will surely want to check it out.

Links:

It Happens Every Spring (1949)

It Happens Every Spring (1949)

Comments 1 comment

“The more you talk, the more mysterious it gets!”

Synopsis:
When a chemistry professor (Ray Milland) accidentally discovers a serum that repels wooden bats from hitting baseballs, he realizes he has a surefire money-making idea which would allow him to finally marry his fiancee (Jean Peters) — so he goes undercover as a major league pitcher.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Baseball
  • Jean Peters Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Paul Douglas Films
  • Ray Milland Films
  • Scientists

Review:
Valentine Davies — author of Miracle on 34th Street (1947) — wrote the screenplay for this utterly innocuous fantasy flick, which predates The Nutty Professor (1963) (also about a professor discovering a life-altering serum) by 14 years. Unfortunately, there’s very little to recommend about It Happens Every Spring unless you’re a baseball fan who takes great delight in seeing creatively rigged games. There is exactly one joke here (that darn baseball keeps swerving away from the bat!) extended a bit to include a running gag about clueless joes who use the serum as a hair tonic (and thus can’t put a wooden-handled brush to their head), but the entire scenario could easily have been distilled into a half-hour sitcom episode.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Paul Douglas as Monk Lanigan

Must See?
No; feel free to skip this one. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Cleopatra (1934)

Cleopatra (1934)

Comments 3 comments

“My wits have failed, and I’m in your hands!”

Synopsis:
When wily Queen Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert) is kidnapped and taken to Rome, she woos both Julius Caesar (Warren William) and his successor, Marc Anthony (Henry Wilcoxon), in an attempt to gain power — but soon she finds herself genuinely in love.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Cecil B. DeMille Films
  • Claudette Colbert Films
  • Egypt and Egyptology
  • Historical Drama
  • Royalty and Nobility
  • Star-Crossed Lovers
  • Strong Females
  • Warren William Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that while “Cecil B. DeMille’s classic is silly, creaky, and full of long-winded tete-a-tetes”, it’s nonetheless “fun to watch”. He points out that Colbert “is an extremely sexy Cleopatra”, “lounging around in skimpy bare-midriff outfits that Madonna might have designed”, yet also “possesses enough intelligence to realize that through her singular powers of seduction she can outwit and manipulate her Roman men”.

He argues that “Colbert fits into the vamp tradition of Theda Bara, who played Cleopatra in the silent era” and that the “picture’s theme is that women can emasculate great male warriors and statesmen, but we can forgive this Egyptian trapped on foreign soil because she must find some way to survive in a male-dominated, woman-hating… world.” Peary’s review is spot on: I was surprised to enjoy this costume drama as much as I did, especially the unintentional humor garnered from Colbert’s not-so-subtle seduction ploys and her ripe dialogue with her lovers. The scene in which she tells Antony that fisherman are gathering clams for dinner — then we see a net full of beautiful consorts emerging from the sea, bearing open shells with jewels — is especially chuckle-worthy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra
  • Victor Milner’s Oscar-winning cinematography
  • Wonderfully elaborate sets and costumes (check out TCM’s article for more on the latter)

Must See?
Yes, as an enjoyable early costume drama.

Categories

  • Good Show

Links:

Devil and Daniel Webster, The (1941)

Devil and Daniel Webster, The (1941)

Comments 1 comment

“I’ve had more than my share! Nothing ever goes right for me!”

Synopsis:
A poverty-stricken New England farmer named Jabez Stone (James Craig) sells his soul to the devil (Walter Huston) in exchange for seven years of prosperity, and soon finds his luck changing entirely — but his loyal wife (Anne Shirley) and no-nonsense mother (Jane Darwell) notice profound changes in his personality, and are especially distressed when he appears to be having an affair with a seductive nanny (Simone Simon) sent by Mr. Scratch (Huston) to keep an eye on him.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anne Shirley Films
  • Edward Arnold Films
  • Fantasy
  • Farming
  • Get Rich Quick
  • Historical Drama
  • John Qualen Films
  • Pact With the Devil
  • Simone Simon Films
  • Walter Huston Films
  • William Dieterle Films

Review:
William Dieterle directed this highly cinematic adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benet’s short story — originally titled All That Money Can Buy to avoid confusion with The Devil and Miss Jones (1941). Huston plays “Mr. Scratch” with gleeful abandon, never not enjoying his earthly travails with humans who are so eager to trade their souls; and the rest of the cast is superb as well (as a side note, Shirley looks particularly like Olivia de Havilland). Bernard Herrmann’s film score — made the same year he scored Citizen Kane (1941) — creatively uses period folk tunes to set the mood and the era, and justifiably won an Oscar. While the entire storyline is well-handled (the DVD commentary track is worth a listen), perhaps the most famous sequence is the final barnhouse trial with infamous criminals coming in ghostly form to listen to Stone’s case. Film fanatics won’t be disappointed by a revisit of this enduring and enjoyable classic.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • William Dieterle’s direction
  • Walter Huston as Mr. Scratch
  • Fine supporting performances across the board



  • John August’s cinematography

  • Many memorable scenes

  • Bernard Herrmann’s Oscar-winning score

Must See?
Yes, as an impressive and still powerful classic.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

Links:

Pawnbroker, The (1964)

Pawnbroker, The (1964)

Comments 2 comments

“I am not bitter. No, that passed me by a million years ago.”

Synopsis:
A traumatized Holocaust survivor (Rod Steiger) running a pawn shop in Harlem reluctantly trains an eager employee (Jaime Sanchez) while fending off advances from a friendly social worker (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and bargaining ruthlessly with his down-and-out customers.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Flashback Films
  • Geraldine Fitzgerald Films
  • Jews
  • Juano Hernandez Films
  • Living Nightmare
  • Rod Steiger Films
  • Sidney Lumet Films
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Holocaust survival films make for undeniably — and understandably — brutal viewing, perhaps few quite so sharply as this adaptation (by director Sidney Lumet) of Edward Lewis Wallant’s novel. There is much to admire here, with the b&w visuals consistently stunning, the performances distinctive and heartfelt, and Quincy Jones’ soundtrack a true highlight. However, viewers must prepare themselves for relentless agony as we watch a deeply broken man perpetuate his own horrors onto others through grim apathy and misanthropy. Check this one out for its many fine qualities — including Steiger’s memorable lead performance — but be aware you may not be able to handle watching it more than once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Rod Steiger as Nazerman
  • Strong supporting performances


  • Effectively claustrophobic sets
  • Fine use of authentic New York locales

  • Boris Kaufman’s cinematography

  • Quincy Jones’ soundtrack

Must See?
Yes, for Steiger’s performance.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

Death Takes a Holiday (1934)

Comments 1 comment

“I have been caught in this web of flesh — caught and tortured!”

Synopsis:
When Death (Fredric March) decides to take a holiday-in-disguise in the home of a duke (Guy Standing), he falls in love with the girlfriend (Evelyn Venable) of the duke’s son (Kent Taylor), much to the consternation of both Standing and Taylor.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Death and Dying
  • Fantasy
  • Fredric March Films
  • Mistaken and Hidden Identities
  • Mitchell Leisen Films
  • Play Adaptation
  • Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
This stagy but atmospherically filmed adaptation of a Broadway play (itself adapted from a 1924 Italian play) was one of Paramount Studios’ top box-office successes — clearly showing audiences’ interest in the subject matter. Indeed, according to TCM’s article, director Mitchell Leisen recalled, “We had seven or eight thousand letters come in from people all over the country, saying they no longer feared death. It had been explained to them in such a way that they could understand the beauty of it.” At the heart of the story is a star-crossed romance between Death and a woman (Venable) who seems strongly in touch with forces beyond earthly nature — and naturally, there is tension over whether she will choose eternal love or mortal life. It’s all handled nicely by Leisen, DP Charles Lang, and set designer Hans Dreier, but not must-see viewing for all film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Fredric March as Death
  • Atmospheric sets and cinematography

Must See?
No, though fans of March’s work may be curious to check it out. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links: