FIRST VIEWINGS:
City Streets (1931) Sylvia Sydney, Gary Cooper, Paul Lukas, William Boyd, Guy Kibbee. All about bootlegging gansters, hit men, daughters who end up in prison because of the old man, and young guys on the make. Good early gangster film but not as memorable as some of the others. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021750/combined
Lady By Choice (1934) Carole Lombard, May Robson, Roger Pryor, Walter Connelly. Robson is a gin guzzling old lady arrested and brought before he same judge for the seventh time in a year. Off to the old ladies home she goes. Fan dancer Lee has a press agent who thinks it's a swell idea to adopt a 'mother' from said home for publicity. The gals hit it off and Lee falls for a lawyer after originally going after him for his money, which causes a falling out with 'Mom'. Carole and May are great together and make this a fun film to see. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025366/combined
The Old Man AndThe Sea (1958) Spencer Tracy. Finally decided to force myself to sit and watch the whole thing, because so many think it is so good. And the awards for film and ole Spence. I was bored out of my mind and still don't get it. That fish was great though. The definition of "padded" screenplay. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052027/combined
Homicide (1949) Robert Douglas, Helen Westcott, Robert Alda. Indifferent crime drama with a 'b' cast. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041482/combined
Montana (1950) Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, S. Z. Sakall. Sheep herder whose father came from Australia and was run out of the area in a former sheep-cattle war, brings his hugh herd of sheep to the government owned open range cattle country, and 'invades' local land barons territory, one of which is a very rich lady ranch owner. Strife and romance develope; Gorgeous scenery and fairly good plot. Two stars had better films together. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042744/combined
The Man With The Cloak (1951) Joseph Cotton, Barbara Stanwyke, Leslie Caron, Louis Calhern. A strange house with mean people. A young French girl arrives with a letter from the grandson of the owner of the house. She is at first denied entrance or a meeting with the old man, but finally, with the help of a hard drinking man she meets at a local bar she goes to for help, she gets to see and talk to the old man. Lawyers and much double dealing and murder make an interesting and unusual film noirish 1850's plot. A surprise at the end makes it all worth while viewing. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043782/combined
ENCORES:
The Maltese Falcon (1931) Ricard Cortez, Bebe Daniels, Una Merkel, Dudley Digges. Original film version of Dashiell Hammett's book. Sam Spade is quite the womanizer and this one leads off with him getting rid of one woman doing up her stockings as his secretary announces a 'real looker' for the next client and he is all smiles and winks. Very different from the famous '41 film and a far more daring one with the sexual content spelled out. I liked it a lot and can see why Cortez was the heart throb of my Mom's generation. Like Valentino, a Latin Lover type. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022111/combined
Footlight Parade (1933) James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell. Personally, I like this film more than 42nd Street. Great numbers. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024028/combined
42ndStreet (1933) Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Warner Baxter. Love the musical numbers, but can barely watch Baxter's over the top ranting. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024034/combined
Boom Town, (1940) Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, Frank Morgan. Oil men and the gal both love. The 'other woman' gets in the way for a while but has to 'butt out' by the happy ending. Stars are all in top form and this film could have been made by the oil industrie's publicity company it is so all out complimentary to the 'wildcatters' and oil barons. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032273/combined
Strange Cargo (1940) Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Ian Hunter, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas. Convicts escape from Devils Island in a boat and Gable brings along a dame from the dregs. Wordy but interesting melodrama. with 'God' like man in Hunter. Gable is the same character in almost all his films - hard drinking, fighting, womanizing, bastard. Crawford can play the female counterpart to a tee. Great together. Hunter is very good here. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033105/combined
Gentleman Jim (1942) Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale. Good role for Flynn about the boxer Jim Corbett who eventually beats John L. Sullivan and becomes the first heavyweight champion of the world under the new Marquis of Queensberry rules. Before their fight it had been an illegal sport and only brawlers participated. But the society men of the day wanted to make it legitimate and sponsored a young banker who grew up in a fighting Irish family of brothers. Entertaining film and Flynn and Smith have chemistry to spare. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034778/combined
Life With Father (1947) William Powell, Irene Dunne, Elizabeth Taylor, Zazu Pitts. Great romp for Fathers Day.with the 1880's family with four boys and their banker father who likes to think he is in charge. But Mother is his downfall as she usually gets her way. Especilly when she discovers her husband was never baptised. She is shocked and makes it her goal to get him 'sprinkled' so he can get in heaven with her and the boys. Taylor and Pitts are mothers relatives who come to visit regularly to the frustration of father. Delightful nonsense. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039566/combined
Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) Esther Williams, Victor Mature, David Brian, Walter Pigeon. Possibly Williams best film, based on the life of Australian swimming champ and entertainer Annette Kellerman. She was the first woman to swim the English Channel and the first to wear form fitting tights and a swim suit without a skirt and her arms uncovered. Scandalous, at the time. Production numbers are spectacular. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044903/combined
The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956) Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Fred Clark, John Williams. Delightful comedy about the small stockholder who causes gigantic headaches for the crooked board members of a large film. Cast is wonderful. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049777/combined
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