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.