Captain Carey U.S.A. [Blu-ray]

Here we are in a popular film, and alan ladd who was a big star, although he faded badly in the 50's and met an early demise with drugs alcohol and who knows what really went on...he changed to warners in the 50's as their stars jumped ship and had to take on the type of film they were famous for, tough and gritty and had a good writing team in martin rackin, but critics and fans soon left his fold during the 50's and tv was on the air and movies changed, and he just dropped from the public's disposition. Soon Warner's dropped him too...Dashell Hammett the crime writer would say he bails out in tough scenes an didnt have the same toughness as the old stars on the warner lot when he moved there, and that shows in films like Hell on FRisco Bay where we feel another actor would have played this role better...if he stayed at Paramount...and warner's was a difficult studio back then for fitting in but why he thought it was a good idea to go there...but tragically the 50's was a dark time for him..here we have him back at paramount a studio he said with nice and good people...and friendly..like mark tuttle...but mark is not here and we have an on location shoot...something new in films and as tv came so did on location shooting with added expense and at first the studios balked at this, but big name stars and high profile films...but this is one of Ladd's best films...in Italy trying to locate a baroness' murderer only trying to find her alive and getting mixed up with a rich family, the blackmarket, missing paintings, and partisans...an interesting look at an american not being welcomed in a town due to war atrocities...and the film is succinct but they've cut about 10 minutes which is likely a slip..but beware..and going back to dashell hammett and these were professionals involved in casting at warner's, and writing, in tough scenes he's not up to the mark, and it may take away from the film, and he's not always consistent as an actor, but he became an actor based on his looks but the fault also lies in director's at times not knowing the limitations of their stars, and tough scenes are not his forte, and the 50's were also a time with many skilled actors coming on the scene, method actors from new York, he's just a sad story in hollywood...also he rarely received good female leads...like other actors..and that had to do with paramount's budgeting...see his other war film OSS if you like this one...this is very good taut...I find it one of his best