Greer Garson Immortalised In Her Most Famous And Loved Role, Jul 19 2004

Nowadays its hard to believe that Greer Garson was highly reluctant to undertake the role after MGM's former queen Norma Shearer turned it down. Afraid of being forever typed into playing noble self sacrifing women rather than the comedy characters she aspired to, it nevertheless was the best career decision she ever made and it also cemented her legendary association with fellow actor Walter Pidgeon who plays her loving husband Clem. Mrs. Miniver was responsible for making this pair the most popular screen team of the 1940's. Based on the serialised novel by Jan Struther "Mrs. Miniver", was as timely a film as could be imagined in early 1942. With war raging in Europe and America on the brink of joining in this tale of a comfortable middle class English family and the trials and tragedies they undergo as a result of the war struck a chord everywhere. The film begins in the leisurely period just prior to England's becoming involved in the war against Germany. Distant rumblings are being heard about German aggression in Poland but life is taking its usual course in the small town of Belham until the Prime Minister announces that England is at war with Germany. Life is totally transformed over night as eldest son Vin (Rihard Ney) enlists in the RAF and shortages and black outs become a regular feature of everyday life. The full horrors of war come to the Village as the bombings begin, houses are destroyed and life is lost. Clem Miniver (Walter Pidgeon) gets a first hand look at the war when he is recruited to take part in the gruelling evacuation of Dunkirk, and Mrs. Miniver has a terrifying confrontation with a downed German pilot where she is held at gun point in her kitchen. Tragedy later strikes the family when only two weeks after the wedding to Vin, Carol Beldon/Miniver (Teresa Wright) is killed by some stray shell fire. Like in all times of war however the human spirit is still maintained and life goes on. Despite the danger of Nazi bombing the famous Belham flower show goes ahead as usual and elderly Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty), a former believer in maintaining "one's place in the order of things", learns a lesson in humility when she graciously lets humble Mr. Ballard (Henry Travers), have the thrill of his life by winning the Best Rose at the show with his "Mrs. Miniver", Rose.

There of course is the famous quote by Winston Churchill in regard to this films impression on people that "Mrs. Miniver" was worth more to England's war effort than a dozen destroyers. High praise indeed. Of course in our present cynical age it's very easy to ridicule this film with its often picture post card views of English life just prior to the outbreak of war. I personally feel the film goes a long way towards trying to seriously show what life was like pre 1939 and certainly how that life was changed forever, and often tragically, by the bombings and losses that England endured. Its message of dealing with adversity and moving on is a universal theme just a relevant today. Criticism was also strangely made of the fact that the Miniver's where a quite affluent upper middle class family with servants. The movie I feel clearly illustrates that all classes suffered equally during the war and experienced loss and sadness. Despite her reluctance to take on the role Greer Garson IS Mrs. Miniver and never can I think of a more perfect marriage of actress and character. The film was not an especially pleasant working time because director William Wyler as seen in his famous work with Bette Davis, was notorious for his repeat takes and commanding manner on film sets. He clashed with famed MGM set designer Cedric Gibbons over what he termed Gibbons' "Chocolate Box" English Village set and often drove Greer Garson to distraction with his brusque direction. Despite those tensions the end result on screen was well worth it and the film boasts many unforgettable scenes and performances. The supporting cast is unsurpassed with the standouts being Teresa Wright as the tragic Carol Beldon, Dame May Whitty as Lady Beldon and especially Henry Travers in his touchingly poignant performance as Mr. Ballard, the station-master and creator of the "Mrs. Miniver" Rose. . The air raid scenes also are depicted in a stark and no holds barred manner that vividly convey the terror people experienced during these frightening bombings.

Topping Exhibitors polls everywhere as the most popular film of 1942 and winning 7 Academy awards in the process, including Best Film, Actress (Greer Garson), Best Supporting Actress (Teresa Wright) and Best Director (William Wyler), few films have left such an indelible impression on moviegoers in any time. Mrs. Miniver", has certainly gone down into movie history much the same way as "Gone with the Wind" has. As entertainment of its time "Mrs. Miniver", I believe is unsurpassed and makes for a totally engrossing movie experience. Tragedy and happiness are all equal components of our lives and "Mrs. Miniver", is richly endowed with both. A true movie treasure.

Timeless "Boy And His Dog", Story That Will Touch Your Heart, Jul 15 2004

Originally there were not high hopes for this "dog picture", as it was termed, so much so that the film was relegated to MGM's "B" department as a minor feature to possibly please wartime audiences. Strangely for a second string film it was shot in colour which was a blessing as it greatly enhanced the story of a Collie's efforts to cross a whole country to return to her master. The immortal story of Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) whose love aand devotion to his pet Collie Lassie is mutually shared is just as touching now as it was for war time audiences. Joe is the only son of struggling family head Sam Carraclough (Donald Crisp)who is currently out of work. Along with his wife (Elsa Lanchester) everyday is a trail to put food on the table and as their financial situation worsens they are forced to sell Lassie to the local Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) who lives at the nearby manor with his little granddaughter Priscilla (Elizabeth Taylor). Lassie however missing Joe makes numerous attempts to escape from the kennel at the Manor. Taken by the Duke to Scotland Priscilla can see how unhappy Lassie is away from her real master and she allows Lassie to escape and return home to Yorkshire where she belongs. However the long journey home proves to be an exhausting and at times terrifying one for Lassie. She has to endure frightening electrical storms and having to swim across fast moving rivers in her quest to return home. Injured in a fight with a hunting dog where she is shot at for tresspassing Lassie now near death from exhaustion and hunger is taken in by a kindly elderly couple and nursed back to health. The old woman, (Dame May Whitty), grows very attached to Lassie but rightly senses that she is in the middle of a journey of some kind which she must now resume. Lassie next encounters a lovable travelling salesman Rowlie (Edmund Gwenn), who with his little dog Toots temporarily takes Lassie along on his selling travels. Tragedy strikes however when Rowlie is robbed and Toots is killed and finally Rowlie also senses that Lassie must go on to what she needs to do. Finally Lassie makes it back home to Joe and his family and when the Duke and Priscilla visit they can see that Lassie is where she belongs with her loving family. All ends happily when the Duke offers Sam a job caring for the dogs at the Manor.

First class entertainment is the only way to describe "Lassie Come Home". Based on the equally loved novel by war veteran Eric Knight the films rich "English", feel despite being filmed in the United States due to the war is typical MGM and was what studio head Louis B. Mayer loved to see in his movies. Inspired by the huge success of other "English", themed movies such as the classic "Mrs. Miniver", it went on to enjoy huge success at the Box Office. Certainly apart from Lassie's obvious screen appeal the cast of "Lassie Come Home", is a memorable one. Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester as Joe's devoted parents who are tortured by the necessity of selling their son's dog in order to survive are heartbreakingly sincere in their playing. Nigel Bruce and Edmund Gwenn in their respective roles provide the necessary local feel to this story so totally associated with the British Isles. Elizabeth Taylor even at this early age shows a delightfully enchanting screen presence that enabled her to mature into one of Hollywood's greatest adult legends and here her beauty even as a 10 year old is startling. She was selected for the role due to her still present English accent as like Roddy McDowall she was a recent evacuee from war torn London. Director Fred M. Wilcox who is perhaps best remembered nowadays for his direction of the sci fi classic "Forbidden Planet", shows a particular flair in directing the younger members of the cast such as the still largely inexperienced Elizabeth Taylor. The films has a beautiful musical score and also boasts "A" grade cinematography, that gives the film a rich authentic English feel to it. "Lassie Come Home", has something for all viewers to cherish and if you are someone that thinks sentiment should be seen more often in movies like myself, then you can't go past this great film.

Wholesome and moving family entertainment is not common nowadays and it seems hard to imagine in our present movie culture a dog like Lassie becoming a star in her own right as she did in 1943 with this film. "Lassie Come Home",is guaranteed to move even the hardest cynic with its simple message of the devoted love that exists between a person and their dog. You dont have to even been a dog lover to enjoy this film as the wonderful characters, excellent photography and great acting by veteran performers and the younger cast members alike make this a classic not to be missed. Treat yourself to a viewing of this superb film soon and you will see why the legend of Lassie has endured for over 60 years.

Beautiful Rita Hayworth Shines In Legendary Bible Epic, Jul 15 2004

Glitzy hokum? Perhaps, but highly entertaining nevertheless. "Salome", was for a long time a project dear to the heart of Cecil B. DeMille who would have been in his element with such an exotic story. He envisioned using Rita Hayworth as the legendary Salome however it never came to be. It was finally up to Columbia chief Harry Cohn fifteeen years later to finally put this project into reality. No expenses was spared on talent both in front of and behind the camera and it shows in the final film. Luscious costumes designed by Jean Louis, breathtaking colour photography and the typical trademarks of 1950's Epics, lavish sets and intrigue are poured on thick in "Salome". Rita Hayworth despite not resembling a Princess native to the Holy Land does well in the role and in her famous dance shows off the skills that served her well as a dancer earlier in her career. Judith Anderson as the evil Queen steals every scene she is in in another classic nasty performance and Charles Laughton performs to his hammy best as the decadent King Herod. These two veteran performers by their colourful playing really bring "Salome", alive in their scenes. "Salome", benefits from some truly superb camerawork for both the palace scenes and also for the actual locations in the Holy Land which were used for the first time with this film. These locations give a rich and realistic look to many of the outdoor scenes in "Salome", recreating the times of the New Testament perfectly.

Being a huge fan of these lavish biblical epics produced in the 1950's I can still see the obvious holes in this film version of "Salome". Rather than seeing them as faults however one has to just take the film at face value, not take it too seriously and just enjoy it for the great production it is. It has romance, intrigue, gorgeous sets and costumes and enough action to satisfy most epic movie lovers. For a "refashioned", look at one of the Bible's more famous stories you are sure to love Columbia Studios lavish "Salome", starring the legendary Rita Hayworth.

Classic "Big Bug ", Feature From The Marvellous 1950's, Jul 14 2004

"The Deadly Mantis", begins with a lengthy explanation of the "new" wonder of this period the radar, how it operates and what it is capable of picking up. The action then moves to a massive volcanic eruption that disturbs the natural order of things in the artic circle. The resulting global warning releases an enourmous prehistoric ancestor of the modern Praying Mantis from its millions of years deep freeze. Very soon strange and unsettling reports are coming from the artic region of remote observation bases and then survey planes being attacked and destroyed by some massive being that leaves huge track marks in the snow unlike any other creature known to man. Strangely no survivors of these attacks are ever found and at the observation station a puzzling spore is uncovered that comes from a creature of a fantastic size. An investigation is set up and Col. Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens), is put in charge of tracking down what is causing this trouble in the region. After the giant spore is brought back to Washington the military call in expert Paleontologist Dr. Ned Jackson (William Hopper), to try and identify what it actually is. With the assitance of assistant Marge Blaine (Alix Talton), Dr. Jackson isolates it as being a prehistoric ancestor of the modern Praying Mantis but from the size of the spore it is a creature so fantastic in size as to be hard to imagine. The incidents of this terrifying creature causing death and destruction continue with Eskimo colonies and ships at sea being destroyed by the creature that is rampant in its need for food and leaves no human being alive as it passes. Dr. Jackson and Marge travel to the artic base to investigate further and experience first hand the full terror of this prehistoric creature as it attacks the base and defies even the military's flame throwers. A pattern begins to emerge which indicates the Mantis is heading south to the Amazon region which was its original habitat in prehistoric times. On the way south the Mantis wreaks havoc in Washington where it attacks the Washington Monument before it is finally trapped in the Manhatten Tunnel in New York. With the creature seemingly impervious to bullets of any kind Col. Parkman seals off both ends of the tunnel and pumps poisonous gases into the tunnel hoping to kill the trapped creature. There are some tense moments when it looks like the creature will even withstand the gases and the men begin to retreat however eventually the gas does its work and the creature meets its end on top of a pile of smashed cars that were abandoned in the tunnel.

"The Deadly Mantis may contain the tried and true formula for these types of "creature features" from the 1950's, however the story is presented in a sensible and thought out way. The extensive use of airforce and radar footage despite it being of a poorer quality than the Universal Studios film, doesn't detract from the story moving on. Performances in "The Deadly Mantis", are of the earnest and sincere kind one expects from this period in Sci Fi film making. Craig Stevens plays your standard rugged male lead and he combines well with female lead Alix Talton who apart from having one of the best screams of any actress in Sci Fi Films around this time, also has some character to work with rather than only reacting to what the men are doing. Alix Talton was a most capable actress and here she creates a character that is no shrinking violet but a talented photographer who insists on getting involved where the main action is taking place. William Hopper playing her boss does a credible piece of acting like he did in "Twenty Million MIles to Earth", as the main expert on what the creature actually is. The Mantis in question is one of the more memorable creatures of the 1950's sci fi genre, right up there with the killer ants from "Them". Its construction and movements are first rate and the invented roar that it makes really creates a chilling effect while possibly not being anything like the sound a giant Mantis would make! But licence has to be allowed when looking at these types of films.

For an enjoyable ride back to Universal Studios "Golden Age of Science Fiction", you can't do much better that "The Deadly Mantis". Certainly not the best film in this genre ever made it still is presented on a level that indicates some thought has gone into the story and especially into the special effects. The sight of the ferocious Mantis overturning a large bus on a fog bound night or demolishing cars in the Manhatten Tunnel are still some of THE classic sci fi images from this decade.Enjoy!

Unforgettable Hollywood Classic Of The First Order, Jul 12 2004

"How Green Was My Valley", unfolds through the thoughts of sixty year old Huw Morgan and we are taken back to the time of his childhood in the small Welsh village that is dominated by the Coal Mine that is the chief source of survival for most of the men in the town. Huw is the much younger son of no nonsense "salt of the earth", parents Gwilym and Beth Morgan (Donald Crisp and Sara Allgood), who have raised their brood of five sons and one daughter to be honest, non complaining, God fearing pillars of the community. Integrity of the soul and a belief in the basic good of mankind are the mottos by which the Morgan's live their everyday lives. The film traces the various happy and tragic occasions that colour the families life in the valley from the marriage of oldest son Ivor (Patric Knowles)to sweet Bronwyn (Anna Lee), to the tragedy and divisions caused to the community by a crippling strike that turns friend against friend and in the Morgan's case, Father against son. We also witness young Huw's adjusting to going to a school outside the valley were he must contend with bullies and a sadistic teacher, on his journey to eventual manhood. All the characters encounter either physical or emotional heartbreak along the way as we see Ivor killed in a mining accident widowing Bronwyn with a young child, many of the Morgan boys being forced to seek work else where as the mine retrenches more of its workers, and Huw and Mrs. Morgan almost dying after falling into a freezing river. We witness the budding romance of daughter Angharad(Maureen O'Hara ), with the local minister Mr. Gruffydd (Walter Pidgeon), being destroyed when Angharad is forced into a loveless marriage with the son of the mine owner. The story ends on the final sad note with the death of Morgan family head Gwilym in another mining accident. All is not gloom in this story however as it never is entirely in real life and along the way there are many joyous celebrations of the human spirit and of people supporting others in need. Mr. Gruffydd's devotion to young Huw inspires him to overcome his accident in the river and to walk again which in turn inspires Mrs. Morgan in her recovery as well. Town hypocrisy and gossip are also tackled when vivous rumours about Angharad's affection for Gruffydd despite being married, raises the preacher's indignation to the level where he turns it back on the "un christian", individuals spreading the gossip during a church service.

In "How Green Was My Valley", we constantly see the human spirit rise above adversity to go on and face the next challenge. John Ford directed this film with an eye for detail, sentiment and human emotion without sacrificing the strong themes present here. He does a masterful job with the individual performances he gets from the actors who deliver some of the best work many of them ever did. Donald Crisp as the stern but loving head of the family richly deserved his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor that year and Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara as the illfated lovers are nothing short of brilliant with every emotion expressed by the two being of a sincerity and believability that comes from assured playing and strong direction. Character actors Anna Lee, Barry Fitzgerald and especially Sara Allgood are also superlative in their work and are immortalised in these roles forever for their fine work. Roddy McDowall is of course the very heart and soul of "How Green Was My Valley", and rarely has a child's part been so centrally placed as the "emotional crossroads", of a story as here. McDowall displays a maturity in his playing that never fails to amaze me and he brings to life the sensitive youngest son of the Morgans who loves his home and family, like no other could. Twentieth Century Fox paid great attention to detail to make this film one of their biggest productions for 1941. The recreation of Welsh mining life is done with great attention to detail right down to the use of the famous Welsh Singers to provide the voices for the men singing on their way home from another day in the mines. The recreation of the Welsh Village also still stands as one of the outstanding achievements of Hollywood technical know how in it's heyday.

For a journey to a simpler and seemingly more sincere time then John Ford's classic "How Green Was My Valley", is unsurpassed entertainemnt of the old Hollywwod school. The phrase, "they dont make them like this anymore", could most definately be applied to this classic. It will bring tears, laughter, and inspiration as no modern film possibly could and this is what makes viewing this film such a special experience. Treat yourself to a viewing of it soon, you wont regret it.

Light And Breezy Gender Twist On The Old "Invisible" Story, Jul 10 2004

As the story opens we see playboy Richard Russell being sued by yet another ex girlfriend which leaves him penniless. One of the "charitable cases", living off his formerly rich bounty is eccentric scientist Professor Gibbs (John Barrymore), who is what you would call the original crazy mad scientist. He labours away in his lab on one mad cap scheme after another until he stumbles on the process by which he can make people invisible. Desperate to try it out on a human being Prof. Gibbs decides to advertise for volunteer. Meanwhile we are introduced to model Kitty Carroll who works in a fashion house run by the tyrannical Mr Growley (Charles Lane). Sick of his harrassment of all the models Kitty decides to answer the ad asking for someone to become invisible. Her plan is then to return to the fashion house and scare the daylights out of her bossy employer. After she meets up with the professor and with the use of his brilliant machine Kitty turns invisible and then escapes from the professor's lab and proceeds to wreak well deserved havoc at Mr Growleys establishment. However all is not plain sailing for the Professor as gangster Blackie Cole (Oskar Homolka),a wanted man, hears of his dramatic breakthrough in making people invisible and decides that with the aid of his henchmen he will steal the device so he can return to his mother country. His "boys", including "Foghorn" (Donald MacBride), and "Hammerhead" (Shemp Howard), break into the lab and steal the device however a vital part is missing which means they must kidnap the Professor as well. After many comic highjinks which sorely try the sanity of worry wart George (Charles Ruggles) the Russell family butler, Kitty by once again going invisible manages to beat the crooks at their own game with some amusing distortions of the gangsters voices thrown in for good measure. All ends happily with former antagonists Kitty and Richard happily married with a young child which suddenly begins to turn invisible much to Prof. Gibbs' delight as he rejoices "Goodness, it must be hereditory"!!

While certainly no masterpiece "The Invisible Woman",is no where near as mediocre as one would first think. It is most pleasing to see John Barrymore with only one more role left in his brilliant film career after "The Invisible Woman", finish with such a comical and delightfully scatty type of character to play. The roles craziness even has shades of the frantically funny performance he gave in the classic comedy "Midnight", in 1939. His supremely funny facial reactions to situations and especially his reactions to when Kitty goes invisible and removes her clothing so as not to be seen are priceless and you can see Barrymore is having a ball sending up to the hilt every other eccentric mad scientist that have appeared in movies. As stated Virginia Bruce, generally a "B", movie actress does well in the lead and excels with her sprightly and funny line delivery in particular when she is invisible. Supporting performances are certainly higher than would usually be expected in this type of film. Charles Ruggles had the "double take", reaction he was justly famous for down to perfection by the time of this effort and his continual threats to quit his job in this story are highly amusing. The gangsters are all an amusingly incompetent lot and its interesting to see Shemp Howard minus his "Three Stooges", brothers in this effort. The special effects were rightly nominated for the Academy Award in 1940 and the image of an invisible Kitty taking a dress off or smoking a cigarette while pouring drinks are certainly one of the main achievements in this story. The invisible scenes are smoothly executed and look highly professional and it even seems that Universal have taken a few more risks with their special effects here than they had done in their earlier classic effort "The Invisible Man", with Claude Rains.

A "guilty pleasure",? Perhaps, but one that I enjoy for 80 minutes of good natured harmless fun. John Barrymore even here when he was not far off his sad death still works wonders with his material and reveals what a brilliant actor he always was in both comedy and drama. The production has a delighfully innocent air about it which makes the sexual puns sprinkled throughout the script all the more funny. With its superb collection of supporting players "The Invisible Woman", is a far better effort than it is normally credited as being. Appreciating its solid special effects I recommend a viewing of this second installment in Universal Studios "Invisible", series. Its definately good for a number of hearty chuckles.

Ingrid Bergman In The First Of Her Classic Hitchcock Roles, Jul 6 2004

The action begins at Green Manors Psychiatric Sanitarium where there is a change occuring in the head personnel with the "retirement", of facility head Dr Murchison (Leo G. Carroll), after a bout of illness. His replacement a Dr. Anthony Edwardes is due to arrive shortly and in the meantime we are introduced to young psychiatrist Dr. Constance Peterson, (Ingrid Bergman), an all business enthusiast of psychoanalysis totally dedicated to her job. When Dr. Edwardes arrives however all is not well and not only does he appear to be far too young for such an important role but he has a number of "spells", where his own mental health is called into question. Constance finds herself experiencing an immediate attraction to this strange young man who before long she realises is not actually Dr. Edwardes but an amnesia sufferer who harbours a severe guilt complex about something unexplained that occured in his past. When complications start to arise and "JB", as he now calls himself is accused of the murder of the real Dr. Edwardes he quickly leaves the sanitarium and hides out in a New York Hotel. Convinced of his innocence Constance follows him to New York and together they try via psychoanalysis to get to the root of JB's problems and find out actually who he is. Pursued now by the police who also are also searching out Constance as an accessory, JB and Constance then travel to see her old University mentor Dr. Alex Brulov (Michael Chekhov). Alex discovers the truth about JB's real condition and feels that he might have been capable of murder all along. Constance is firm in her belief of his innocence however and after travelling to a ski resort JB starts to recall his past and what happened to cause him to loose his memory. It seems his severe guilt complex was over the accidental death of his young brother for which he has always blamed himself. It is revealed that Dr. Edwardes actually died on the ski slope which caused JB to assume the blame for his death. With a clearer picture now JB and Constance work to trace the real murderer. The police however apprehend JB leaving it up to Constance to prove his innocence. The clues lead Constance back to the Green Manors where Dr. Murchison has resumed his former position. A slip of his tongue where he states to Constance that he thought the real Dr. Edwardes was a horrid man when earlier he stated he had never met him alerts Constance to who the real murderer is and in a fateful confrontation the real truth and its tragic consequences all come out. The bright aspect of this conclusion of the situation is that "JB", learns his real name, "John Ballantine", and is freed of any suspicion in Dr. Edwardes' death. He and Constance also can then plan a future together now that he is cured of his earlier amnesia.

Despite the dated medical practices that make up the core of the action in "Spellbound", the uniformily fine acting performances by the cast make this film a memorable viewing experience. Ingrid Bergman was in the middle of her extraordinary run of critical and box office success as possibly the freshest performer in Hollywood at this time and she had her choice of a dazzling array of leading men eager to work with her. Gregory Peck only teamed with her the once and despite his relative inexperience with film at this time, despite being nominated for an Oscar for "Keys of the Kingdom", he already shows the mettle that would make him one of Hollywood's most enduring leading men. A favourite character actor of mine, Leo G. Carroll long associated with pedantic, fussy men in his film roles had one of his best roles here as Dr. Murchison who features prominently in the unexpected thrilling finale to "Spellbound". He teams particulary well with Ingrid Bergman and their nail biting climatic scene at the film's conclusion has become a classic. Hitchcock used a number of quite innovative practices to make "Spellbound", a creative and for the times quite thought provoking work of cinema. Boasting an Oscar winning musical score by Miklos Rozsa, the film is also justly famous for the elaborate dream sequence designed by the legendary Salvador Dali. Originally much longer and surreal than as it appears on screen now, it was cut in length due to Studio pressure so as to not "alienate", the average audience. Its rich expressionist symbolism however creates a marvellous illustration in showing Gregory Peck's characters search for the truth about his past. Also the famous colour gun shot at the gripping conclusion in an otherwise black and white production helps create another not expected element in the story.

Viewed today "Spellbound", might not be considered the best work in Alfred Hitchcock's acclaimed body of work however it provides interesting asides into the then fashionable world of psychanalysis and its benefits to those suffering guilt complexes and associated memory losses. Despite its dated elements that are very obvious with the passage of time and advances in medical practices "Spellbound", I feel justly takes its place as one of David O. Selznick's more thoughtful productions from this time and is still best remembered as one of the jewels in the crown of Ingrid Bergman's career in the early 1940's. Enjoy

Moody Gothic Interpretation of H.P. Lovecraft Story, Jul 5 2004

The story begins in the 18th century township of Arkham, where the town is bedevilled by strange occurences where the women of the town are being lured away at night to the mysterious castle owned by Joseph Curwen. Once there they are made part of Curwen's attempts to make contact with the greater gods that once ruled the earth and offer unlimited power to those who feed their needs. The outraged menfolk soon take matters into their own hands and Edgar Weeden (Leo Gordon), has a particular axe to grind with Curwen in that he has stolen his ladylove Hester and is using her as his assistant in his deadly rituals. The men storm the castle and drag Curwen outside and burn him as a warlock. Before dying however Joseph places a curse on the town, its inhabitants and its decendants. The story then jumps foward 110 years where we find Arkham an accursed place where the descendants of the original villagers lead a fearful cursed existence. Into this unsavory environment comes Charles Dexter Ward and his wife Ann (Debra Paget), who have come to Arkham unknowingly to claim the family inheritance. He is met by hostility by the fearful locals who see that Charles has an exact likeness to the still feared Great Great Grandfather Joeph. Warned about the evil that lurks in the castle Charles rebuffs these supersitions. The only townsperson who tries to help the couple is Dr. Willet (Frank Maxwell), who fills Charles and Ann in on the centuries old curse. At the Castle Charles finds an eerie portrait of his great great grandfather which has a strange feel to it and before long Joseph Curwen's spirit begins to invade Charles' body. He vows much to Ann's distress to stay in the Castle and makes the acquaintance of the centuries old caretaker of the castle Simon (Lon Chaney Jr.), who begins to help Charles/Joseph in his devilish practices. Charles now almost totally taken over by Joseph's spirit sets out on a campaign to wreak revenge on the ancestors of the towns people who burnt him at the stake. First Ezra Weeden in killed by a mutant creature he has been keeping locked up for years. In a struggle with the creature he is pushed into a fire to burn just as his ancestor burnt Joseph Curwen. Micah Smith (Elisa Cook Jr.), is next and suffers a horrific death when Charles pours petrol over him and sets him alight. The townsfolk decide once again to take matters into their own hands and invade the castle where Charles/Joseph has not only resurrected Hester but is planning to sacrifice Ann, to the demon Gods. In the resulting blaze Dr. Willet manages to get Ann and a suddenly freed Charles out of the blazing castle however the spirit of Joseph Curwen is still strong as in an eerie moment it appears Charles is actually still possessed by Curwen.

"The Haunted Palace", boasts an expensive look to it that belies the usual small budgeted productions associated with Roger Corman. Certainly the casting of many seasoned veterans helps tremendously to lift the standard of this production. After his triumph in the classic "House of Wax", Vincent Price enjoyed a highly profitable second career as a horror star and his work for AIP and Roger Corman cemeted his stardom in this field. Debra Paget, a regular in films throughout the 1950's had her last screen appearance in "The Haunted Palace", before retiring and here makes a beautiful and spirited herione. Veterans Lon Chaney Jr., Elisha Cook Jr. and especially Frank Maxwell lend their well seasoned talents to the scenerio and add great weight to the supporting characters. Rich in atmosphere the castle scenes, those in the eerie graveyard and the frightening scenes showing the mutated townsfolk give "The Haunted Palace", an "A" class feel to what is essentially a "B" horror effort it. On the technical side Ronald Stein produced one of his most effective musical scores here which works greatly to highlight the scenes of uncertainity and fear that arise after Charles' arrival in the town. Like in his earlier "The Fall of the House of Usher", Corman shows his expertise often with limited budgets in producing satisfying mist shrouded landscapes and musty suffocating interiors and thi sfilm boasts some of his best work in that area.

First and formost "The Haunted Palace", is a great vehicle for the often underestimated talents of the legendary Vincent Price who was expert at colouring his interpretations with equal doses of charm and menace. In the dual role of Charles/Joseph he delivers a terrific performance which switches from a gentlemanly presence to one of pure evil. It is him that makes this Corman production stand out as great horror entertainment If you like richly atmospheric horror tales based on interestign literary sources dont fail to catch Vincent Price up to all his old evil in Roger Corman's "The Haunted Palace".

A "Non Typical" Vehicle For Comedy Greats Hope And Ball, Jul 1 2004

"The Facts of Life", focuses on life in a tightly knit upper middle class suburban community, and as Lucy's character of Kitty informs us everyone knows each other, socialises with each others and knows what is in store for them probably for the rest of their lives. Kitty is married to Jack Weaver (Don DeFore),a workaholic who really hasn't been spending the proper amount of time with his wife and children. Larry Gilbert (Bob Hope) is another "branch", of the extended social network in the community who is married to "perfect" wife Mary (Ruth Hussey). Even though the families socialise together and even vacation together every year Kitty always views Larry as a pain in the neck who delivers unfunny comedy sketches at the local club and really isn't someone she wants around alot of the time despite the families being friends. When the groups annual vacation time comes up they all plan to travel to Acapulco however through a series of circumstances Kitty and Larry find themselves not only "spouseless", on the holiday but thrown together as company for the entire vacation. Both circle each other carefully for the first few days trying not to be in each others way however on a planned fishing boat trip the two suddenly begin to realise the other is not the horror they had thought. A rapport begins in particular after they realise they went to the same school and know some of the same past students. Common ground develops into some genuine laughs between the two and then a true love blossoms between them. The time comes however for the two to face reality and return to the United States and their normal lives. Back at home the two try to avoid each other but both find the going tough as the find their marriages empty and the need for each other still strong. The two have an aborted attempt to stay in a motel over night together and then a diseasterous attempt at a weekend away which concludes in a equally horrendous air flight home,sours their thoughts of a life together. The two realise that their families do need them and that the "facts of life", for each are that what they had in Acapulco is something that isn't possible at the stage they are at in their lives. The conclusion sees the couple back with their respective spouses returning to the "normal", existence they had before they "discovered", each other.

Considered "racy", stuff for 1960's audiences "The Facts of Life", handles the issues of adultery and temptation in a surprisingly tasteful manner. The characters of Kitty and Larry never come across as unlikeable characters and it's a real credit to the playing of Lucille Ball and Bob Hope that this quite delicate subject matter is handled so well. Lucille Ball I feel really came of age as an actress here and her Kitty is a wonderful combination of someone wanting to be a free spirit but who is still troubled with a sound conscience about the reprecussions of what she feels tempted to do with Larry. Of course there are a number of very amusing scenes for Lucy to shine in, namely the hilarious drive in scene and the action on board the ship where she fights a giant marlin for hours which are sure to have you laughing at Lucy's supreme comedy talent. Being slightly older of course than when she had her golden comedy time as Lucy Ricardo also helps and she definately displays a new maturity with a serious character to work with. Lucille Ball and Bob Hope always combined well on screen and the pair did a number of highly successful comedy films together. However in alot of ways "The Facts of Life", is one of the more interesting as both are forced by the screenplay (written by writer/director Melvin Frank and Norman Panama) to actually stretch themselves as actors with real characters to work with that aren't all laughs and comedy high jinks.

One doesn't normally associate Lucy or Bob Hope with warm romantic stories with characters in a moral dilemma however this is what makes "The Facts of Life", recommended viewing and despite many saying Bob Hope in particular was miscast I personally feel it reveals much pleasing work by the comedian who has as always a magical chemistry with his leading lady. For more bittersweet moments than huge belly laughs try and view "The Facts of Life", soon it shows a pleasingly different Bob Hope and Lucille Ball that I believe you will find most appealing.

One Of The Great 1930's Boxing Stories, Jun 30 2004

"Kid Galahad", opens during a rowdy party thrown by Boxing Promoter Nicky Donati (Edward G. Robinson), finding himself short staffed the hotel sends up one of their bellhops Ward Guisenberry (Wayne Morris), to help out. Naive and good looking he becomes the target of one of Donati's boxers Chuck McGraw (William Haade), and in the fight that follows Ward knocks him out cold with little effort. Sized up by Donati's rival Turkey Morgan (Humphrey Bogart) he is sent in for a sham round of boxing where he unknowingly is put against McGraw who is one of the reigning champions. Donati is jealous of anyone who "eyes" his girl "Fluff" Phillips (Bette Davis), and fearing an attraction between Ward and Fluff he hopes that Ward will get a sound beating in the process. However Ward calls their bluff by knocking McGraw out during the fight which sends Turkey even more out for revenge against Donati. Fluff sees the potential in Ward as a prize fighter and gives him a new professional name "Kid Galahad", and a new sensation is born. Taken into Donati's camp Ward becomes the idol of the nation as he only only successively wins all his bouts but also unknowingly wins the heart of Fluff who of course sees the futile situation with her being Donati's girl. On a visit to Donati's mother's farm Ward comes to know Nicky's younger sister Marie where a spirited love blossoms. Nick however has a personal rule that his world of fight promoting never crosses over into his family life and when Ward proposes marriage to Marie, he has Nick's rage to deal with. Back in town Nick decides to just deal with the fight side of Ward's life after Marie also tells him of her love for Ward. In a crucial final fight for the heavy weight championship however Nick becomes a victim finally of a set up by Turkey and in a shoot out in the dressing room both Turkey and Nick are killed. Nick however gives his blessing to Marie to marry the "kid". Fluff in comparison after unselfishly standing aside from her true feelings about the Kid walks away to an uncertain future on her own again.

This type of "rough and tumble", story is most capably handled by legendary director Michael Curtiz who in his heyday turned his hand to such diverse efforts as "Casablanca", and "White Christmas", with equal ease. Here he packs much full blooded action into a 90 minute running time. Bette Davis had fought long and hard for better roles but at first glance her role here would appear to be not much better than many of her pre court case efforts. However despite this Davis still manages with that special talent of hers to inject a lot of life into the loyal girlfriend of Edward G. Robinson's who privately loves Ward "Kid Galahad" Guisenberry only to see him fall in love with another woman. Inspite of the prickly relationship she always had with Edward G. Robinson professionally the two actually combine well on screen here and Robinson shines in a tailor made role of the tough talking Boxing Promoter who is ruthlessly determined to stay at the top of the Boxing heap. The supporting cast here has a well cast collection of up and coming talent plus some seasoned "Warners", veterans who were all still headed for great things after this film. Humphrey Bogart leads the supporting cast as the ruthless "Turkey" Morgan and his portrayal here is one on a long list of similiar roles that he played through the 1930's before finding full stardom with "The Maltese Falcon". His determined and often bloody rivalry with Robinson throughout this story gives this film its required hard edge. Newcomers Wayne Morris as the "kid" and especially Jane Bryan as Marie provide the necessarily youthful element to the story. Bryan found an unlikely mentor in the more experienced Davis and would feature in a number of later Bette Davis starring vehicles such as "The Old Maid".

"Kid Galahad", was remade in the 1960's as a starring vehicle for Elvis Presley and the huge success of that film has somewhat eclipsed the memory of this earlier Warner Brothers effort. Despite that it is a fine film in the boxing genre and while typical of alot of similiar efforts from this period at Warner Brothers, has its own style thanks to Robinson, Davis and Bogart which lifts it out of the run of the mill "programmer", category. It's always a thrill to see Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart square off against each other in these type of films and they repeated their success here in a number of other efforts over the next few years, most notably in "Key Largo". Bette Davis even in this largely "pre stardom" effort always makes her characters interesting to watch and it certainly helped pave the way for her real stardom just on the horizon. For an exciting fight picture with plenty of romance and action thrown in for good measure "Kid Galahad", comes highly recommended.