Murder, musicals and politics----

This weeks films were diversified. I watched:

The Great McGinty (1940) The great Preston Sturges first film that he got to direct from his own script. Very good cast of Brian Donlevy as Dan McGinty, Akim Tamiroff as "The Boss", Muriel Angelus as Mrs. McGinty and Willam Demarest as the political fixer. Our political system in the late 1930s, as seen by Sturges, is not very different from today. Buying votes back then was just more open. The outrage of a bum becoming mayor and then govenor is mirrored in the recently nominated Vice-Presidential candidate who seems somewhat lacking. Sturges comment, through his script on the sorry state of the average person to know who is honest and how things work, is brilliant. A real jewel of a film and the start of the Sturges stock company of character actors who were in most of his eight films that he directed. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032554/

Girl Of The Golden West (1938) Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald musical set in the migration west starts with the wagon train our heroine is traveling on being waylaid by bandits, with a young boy the adopted son of the Chief among them. He hears the girl singing at the campfire and falls in love. Years later, the girl, Mary is the owner of the saloon left to her by her grandfather. The sheriff (Walter Pidgeon) is in love with her and wants to marry, but she keeps putting him off. On a trip to the town she meets and falls for the bandit, pretending to be a soldier. Lots of pretty songs, some with Latin rhythm, and the stars ride off together in the end. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030182/

All The Kings Men (1949) Broderick Crawford as Willy Stark, is one of the great portrayals in movie history. Based somewhat of the Longs of Louisiana, it is the story of a rural school treacher who wants to get the roads paved into his area so the farmers can get their crops to market. From there the politicos and dissapointments take there toll and after a few elections, he knows how to win, but he also knows all the corrupt rewards of winning. Crawford is a force of nature in this role. He begins as a somewhat meek nice guy. By the time he is govenor, he is confident, boistrous and hard a nails. Along for the ride is John Ireland as Jack, a writer; his girl Anne (Joanne Dru); and Mercedes McCambridge, campaign head and lover of Willie. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041113/

Apology (1986) Leslie Anne Warren as an artist, and Peter Weller as a cop, heat up the screen in this pretty good murder mystery. Lily is working on a installation piece for her scheduled show. Her gimmick is to have people phone and leave messages on her answering machine. They have to confess something they have done and then apologize. It works too well. A creepy guy calls and confesses rape and murder. At first Lily refuses to cooperate with the cop, but when a murder happens just as the caller said, she changes her mind. Great chemistry between Warren and Weller. A little more of them and less mayhem, and it would have been a better film. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090653/

Veronica Guerin (2003) The great Cate Blanchett as Irish newspaper reporter Guerin, who takes on the drug lords in Dublin. As she gets closer to the top guy, he openly assaults her at his estate, and then has her gunned down on the road. The film shows the toll all her crusading is having on her family and the injuries she sustains from an auto accident caused by the mob. An engrossing look at the Irish mob. 8/10 ttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312549/

La Vie En Rose (Môme, La /French, 2007) What to say?! Marie Cotillard deserved her Oscar. But it was a hard slog to get through the film. The first hour (or did it just seem like an hour?) we see all the degradation and deprivation of the child, dirty, hungry and cold. All the adults in this waifs life are scum. The streets, hovels and bordellos where Edith Piaf is shuttled back and forth are so forlorn that I almost gave up; the music wasn't THAT good to watch all that misery.
And by the time we got Edith grown, I had almost lost interest in what happens next. I don't think Piaf was particularly likeable. And because I am not French, I really have no ear for the songs. Too many words don't seem to fit the melodies. But there were a couple that I remember from when she came to America in the 1950's and was on radio.
I can't say I enjoyed this film. But the performance was very good. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450188/

This week also saw the death of one of the greats of the golden age of films - Paul Newman. I remember when he first started as a young actor on live television. He was so good and so very good lo0kimg. Those blue, blue eyes were amazing. Such a fine man in every way. Rest in peace.

Just a few this week---

I had a few other matters to take care of - like having a tooth pulled and recovery. And some digging in the garden. But I managed to watch a few good films;

Transgression (1931) Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez in a melodrama about a wife whose husband goes off to India for a year. The wife (Kay) becomes involved with a rogue (Cortez) who tricks her into coming to his home in the mountains of Spain. Death and despair before all works out for our heroine before "the end." 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022501/

Secrets Of An Actress (1938) Kay Francis, George Brent, Ian Hunter in a triangle revolving around a young actress. Brent is the romantic lead here, but Hunter is the interesting one. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030727/

Scudda Hoo, Scudda-Hey (1948) June Haver, Lon McCallister star in a teenagers film from just after the WWII war years. Story of a boy and the 2 mules he buys and trains. I remember the sighs of the girls at my highschool over Lon. Can't understand it now, but he was a heartthrob, as was June for the guys. Ah, youth! 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040762/

Searching For Debra Winger (2002) Documentary. Interesting look at how the actresses handle hitting the 30 to 40 age group. Suddenly, no roles offered or only mothers/harridans. Well done, if a bit repetitious. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318049/

Last Holiday (2006) Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton Remake of the Alex Guinness film of a dying person taking the bit in hand and going to a resort to spend their last days. All goes well and before long, money, friends and opportunities abound. Of course, it's all a terrible mistake. The Queen is fun to watch. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408985/

Tomorrow brings the first day of autumn, which I love. Just hope it lasts extra long here this year. Beautiful time of year.

Kay Francis, Preston Sturges highlight week....

This week I watched:

Trouble In Paradise (1932) Herbert Marshall, Kaye Francis, Marian Hopkins. Precode and very sophistocated romp for the actors. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023622/

Cynara (1932) Kay Francis & Ronald Colman who was stiff and boring in this story of a man who has always been faithful to his wife, but succumbs to a sweet young things adoration. 6/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022796/

Small Town Girl ( 1936) Janet Gaynor & Robert Taylor. Cute story of a bored young woman who chances on meeting a rich playboy and in a night of dancing and drinking, ends up married to him. Both stars are very good and after the usual problems, they end up in each others arms. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028269/

Christmas In July (1940) Writer/Director Preston Sturges. Dick Powell & Ellen Drew. The first of Sturges films that he finally got to direct from his own script. Story of a guy who thinks he has won a contest and a lot of money. Supporting cast is a highlight and make this an enjoyable fable. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032338/

Sullivans Travels (1941) Writer Director Preston Sturges. Joel McCrea & Veronica Lake. The 2nd of Sturges great films. He wrote it for McCrea and he is great as the director who wants to make 'serious' films about what it's like to be poor. He is challenged to go find out because he has always been well off. So he has one attempt after another until he finally does learn a hard lesson from real life. Supporting cast is superb. Lake is a joy. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034240/

Coogans Bluff (1968) Clint Eastwood - before Dirty Harry. Clint has to go to NYC to get a fugitive and has all kind of trouble. But we know he is up to the job. 8/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062824/

The Bucket List (2007) Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson. Mild fable of two opposites who end up sharing a hospital room, fighting their cancers. Rather predictable. Both stars are so good at being who they are, it is pleasant enough watching them. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/

21 (2008) Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess. I enjoyed the glitter of Las Vegas. I did not understand what they were doing to win. The leading man was not exciting. The leading lady was bland. Kevin Spacey sleep walks through his part. And I still don't know what went on at the end. Did he get his scholarship? Was Spacey arrested? One thing for sure - Sturgess character was stupid to keep all his winnings in the ceiling of his dorm room. Even a locker at the bus depot would be safer. Lots of flaws but still kept me watching, even as I was talking back to the screen. Ha! 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478087/

Lots of rain here in the Heartland over the last week. Soggy yards. Allergies bothering me. Hay fever back with me after years of no problems. So the house shut up and watching films is the plan.

Two weeks outdoors; films I didn't fall asleep on:

Saratoga Trunk (1945) A favorite film that I have loved since I saw it back when it first came out in 1945. Ingrid Bergman has never been so beautiful, nor has Gary Cooper. Set in New Orleans in the late 1800s, and at Saratogo Springs, N.Y., when it was THE place to be for the 'season', the great studio MGM pulled out the stops to make a fun and romantic film. With the end train wreck and fight between the two railroad factions, there is even something for action fans. The costumes, sets and supporting cast are all superb. 10/10 TCM http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038053/


Gentlemens Agreement (1947) One of the first of the post WWII films taking on prejudice as the focal point of the story. This one focuses on prejudice against Jews, even after the holocaust. Gregory Peck as the journalist, who moves to New York and for his next story, decides to pose as a Jew, is great and was brave to take the role back in the day. Very good script, just letting the story show us what happens, until the last 15 minutes when we have to have his article read aloud by his mother (Anne Revere). Too preachy. But true non-the-less. Great support from Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield (his last role-he died soon after finishing the film), and Celeste Holm. 8/10 FMC http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039416/


On The Waterfront (1954) One of the greatest films of the 1950s and the greatest male performance of any decade. Marlon Brando IS Terry Malloy, the former boxer who "coulda been a contenda." The scene in the cab with his brother (Rod Steiger) is one of the truest and most moving put on film. When my boyfriend and I sat in the big theater and that scene ended, we heard a scream from the balcony "wow" and my guy yelled "brother". After it was over, we all got together to discuss the film, they agreed it was a film brothers could understand very well. "You should taken care of me jest a little bit" struck a cord between a lot of brothers. At least back in those days. Eva Marie Saint, as Edie Doyle, was a fragile girl with an iron will. All the secondary male roles were nominated for Oscars. As a result, none won, but Lee J. Cobb, Steiger, and Karl Malden, as Father Barry, should have won. All were terrific. Since the story was lifted from an expose of rackets in the waterfront unions, this film had a realism that we all recognized. We had read the headlines in our newspapers. This is a film they got right on the money! 10/10 My Collection http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296/


Time Limit (1957) Richard Widmark is an attorney in the Judge Advocates office, investigating the charge of treason against a man (Richard Basehart) who had been a prisoner during the Korean war. All the rest of the men in his section of the prison were accusing him of collaboration. The facts as they are slowly discovered paint a completely different picture. One of the first films to take on the subject of military prisoners breaking under torture and mind control. At the time, very thought provoking. 8/10 TCM http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051083/


Goodbye Again (1961) Ingrid Bergman is silly as a ridiculous woman who is mistress to a man who treats her with contempt and calls it love. Then she is persued by a rich, very young and dumb guy, who wants to marry mommy - oops, I mean this supposedly smart woman. Can you tell how much I hated this film. Locations were nice. Fashions interesting. Cast were sleepwalking or drunk. IMO. 6/10 TCM http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054936/maindetails

My Blue Heaven (1990) Love this film for the end of summer, lighthearted fun, the music and dancing. Steve Martin is a 'made' man in the witness protection program who ends up in cookie cutter suburb waiting the testify against the mob. Rick Moranis is the FBI agent assigned to see that he arrives at court and not dead. Joan Cusack is the prosecuting attorney of her little town. "Vinnie" keeps getting arrested for infractions and she is mesmerized by the elaborate tales he tells to get out of his jams. Moranis has to come collect him time after time. Vinnie sees the attorney and the FBI agent are attracted to each other and plays cupid. A charming fable and lots of interesting characters. As Vinnie says at the end "Sometimes I even amaze myself." Good fun. 8/10 My Collection http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100212/


The Bank Job (2008) Jason Stratham and a crew of crooks decide to rob the vault of one of Londons staid banks. The details of their plan, getting all the equipment into the lowest basement of the building next to the bank, and how they tunnel through is interesting, and the mounting tension as we know the authorities are closing in, makes for a neat caper film. Doubly interesting because it is based on an actual robbery in the 1970's and at the fade, we learn "the rest of the story" on each of the main characters. 9/10 Rental http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200465/



So with much cooler and rainy weather, I'm puttering about in my strip gardens, transplanting and cleaning up the plants that are through for the season.



I have my next films on my table and, if I can stay awake, will have more comments next week.