Tonight's Movie: Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)

Last month I watched THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953), one of a trio of Disney films made in Britain in the early '50s starring actor Richard Todd.

ROB ROY: THE HIGHLAND ROGUE (1953) was the third film in the series, reuniting Todd with his SWORD AND THE ROSE costars Glynis Johns and James Robertson Justice. Todd and Justice had also starred in THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRIE MEN (1952).

I thoroughly enjoyed ROB ROY, in which Todd stars as Rob Roy MacGregor, a Scotsman who leads his clan in rebellion against King George I. In between exasperating British soldiers with his guerrilla tactics and making daring escapes, he courts and marries lovely Helen Mary MacPherson (Glynis Johns).

Whereas Glynis Johns has the chance to shine brightest in THE SWORD AND THE ROSE, ROB ROY is Todd's film; he excels as the handsome and charismatic leader. Johns brings charm and determination to Helen Mary; not one to sit on the sidelines, when her home is attacked she helps her husband fight back, and when she later disagrees with his tactics she doesn't hesitate to let him know. Todd and Johns have excellent chemistry and jointly make this film a pleasure to watch.

These British Disney films have a sensibility not quite like any of the studio's other films, proving to be quite wonderful and colorful romantic adventures. (As a side note, I don't think Leonard Maltin and I were watching the same movie.) ROB ROY, like THE SWORD AND THE ROSE, deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Todd and Johns are ably supported by James Robertson Justice as the Duke of Argyll. Justice had plum roles in these three films, appearing as Henry VIII in THE SWORD AND THE ROSE and Little John in THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRIE MEN (1952).

Finlay Currie, Michael Gough, Eric Pohlmann, and Marjorie Fielding also star.

ROB ROY was directed by Harold French and filmed by Guy Green, an Oscar winner for GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1948). It runs 81 minutes.

This movie's only DVD release has been on a Disney Movie Rewards DVD. I received it for free from Disney Movie Rewards but it can be quite expensive when purchased elsewhere due to limited quantities. I would love to see the three Todd Disney films put out in a nice set but that's probably a pipe dream! In the meantime, the DVD can be rented from ClassicFlix.

The movie can also be rented for streaming via Amazon Instant Video.

Quick Preview of TCM in June

The June schedule for Turner Classic Movies is now available online!

The June Star of the Month is Rock Hudson.

Over 20 Hudson films will be shown on Thursday evenings. Titles will include his films with Doris Day and four collaborations with director Douglas Sirk.

The list of Hudson films also includes his first small role, in FIGHTER SQUADRON (1948), and another early role in Anthony Mann's WINCHESTER '73 (1950). One of my favorite '50s Westerns, Mann's BEND OF THE RIVER (1952), will also be part of June's Hudson retrospective.

The Friday Night Spotlight theme is pirates! There's a terrific assortment of films, with pretty much all the titles one would expect TCM to show in such a series.

They're even showing Universal's AGAINST ALL FLAGS (1952) with Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara, which I don't recall turning up on TCM in the past, and a silent version of THE SEA HAWK (1924). That series looks like a great way to kick off the summer.

Another highlight is an entire evening devoted to "Hammer Noir," a group of '50s British-made crime films featuring American stars which I've begun exploring this year.

The Hammer lineup includes Dane Clark in BLACKOUT (1954), Paulette Goddard in THE UNHOLY FOUR (1954), Lizabeth Scott in THE STOLEN FACE (1952), and George Brent in MAN BAIT (1952), which I reviewed in January. I wonder if this evening might be hosted by the Film Noir Foundation's Eddie Muller, who recently signed on with TCM?

June will also feature multi-film tributes to Rosalind Russell, Judy Garland, Ida Lupino, Lawrence Tierney, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, and Susan Hayward. Themes of the month include fathers, musicals, opera, babies, detectives, and the number 13.

Among the obscure treasures I'm looking forward to exploring in June are A CHILD IS BORN (1940) with Geraldine Fitzgerald and Jeffrey Lynn, THE SECOND FACE (1950) with Ella Raines, Bruce Bennett, and Rita Johnson, STEP BY STEP (1946) which reunited DILLINGER (1945) costars Lawrence Tierney and Anne Jeffreys, THE FORTY-NINERS (1949) with Wild Bill Elliott and Virginia Grey, HOTEL BERLIN (1945) with Faye Emerson and Helmut Dantine, and ROSEANNA MCCOY (1949) starring Farley Granger, Joan Evans, and a terrific supporting cast.

I'll have more detailed information to share on the June schedule as June 1st approaches.

The current Star of the Month is Mary Astor. The April Star of the Month will be John Wayne, with June Allyson on the schedule for May.

TCM Star of the Month: Mary Astor

The March Star of the Month on Turner Classic Movies is Oscar-winning actress Mary Astor.

Well over 50 Astor films will be shown in 24-hour marathons beginning Wednesday evening, March 5th.

Mary Astor was born in 1906 and as a teenager began working in bit parts in silent films; her last screen role came over four decades later, in 1964. She could really do it all, from searing dramatic roles to hilariously funny comedic performances.

Astor chronicled her life and career in the fine books MY STORY: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY and A LIFE ON FILM. She passed away in 1987.

The tribute to Astor's wonderful career gets underway on March 5th with the highly regarded William Wyler film DODSWORTH (1935), followed by THE GREAT LIE (1941), for which she won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. THE GREAT LIE costars Bette Davis and George Brent.

Other films that evening include the silent film DON JUAN (1926), with John Barrymore, and a role as Elizabeth Taylor's mother in CYNTHIA (1947).

This first batch of films wraps up with A KISS BEFORE DYING (1956), which I also mentioned in my overview of the month yesterday. It's an entertaining film in which Astor plays the adoring and oblivious mother of a bad, bad son (Robert Wagner).

On March 12th the evening kicks off with another of Astor's classic films, THE MALTESE FALCON (1941). I imagine most classic film fans have seen this one, but it's a film that's always good for another visit. And those who are new to it should make it a point to see this one, "the stuff dreams are made of."

Other titles airing that night range from John Ford's THE HURRICANE (1937) to the Melvyn Douglas-Joan Blondell comedic mystery THERE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN (1938) to the Esther Williams film FIESTA (1947). Mary plays Esther's mother in FIESTA, another of the many times she played a mother on film.

Along with THE MALTESE FALCON, the gem of the evening on the 12th is the timeless classic THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937), costarring Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., as well as Madeleine Carroll, David Niven, Sir C. Aubrey Smith, and Raymond Massey. Don't miss it.

On March 19th the evening kicks off with Astor's hilarious performance in THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942), for which I believe she should have rated an Oscar nomination. It's a bit mind-blowing comparing her giddy role in THE PALM BEACH STORY with the previous year's femme fatale in THE MALTESE FALCON.

The 14 films airing on the 19th and into the 20th range from the silent BEAU BRUMMEL (1924) to the early '40s comedy YOUNG IDEAS (1943) to the business melodrama THE POWER AND THE PRIZE (1956).

The final 14 films on March 26th start off with Astor's role as Marmee in the MGM version of LITTLE WOMEN (1949), followed by her role as Mrs. Smith in one of the greatest musicals ever filmed, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944).

Also airing on the 26: the classic pre-Code comedy-drama RED DUST (1932), with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, and her highly regarded performance in Fred Zinnemann's ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949).

Click any of the links above for past reviews of Astor's films. For more on TCM this month, please visit TCM in March: Highlights and the complete schedule.

TCM in March: Highlights

The 31 Days of Oscar have now drawn to a close on Turner Classic Movies, and the regular schedule resumes on Tuesday, March 4th. Here's a look at some of the treasures awaiting on the March schedule!

The Star of the Month for March is Mary Astor, with weekly marathons of her films beginning on Wednesday evening, March 5th. I'll be taking a closer look at the Astor films showing this month in the near future. (Update: Please visit TCM Star of the Month: Mary Astor.)

Below are just a few of the interesting movies TCM has in store for viewers this month; check out reviews at any hyperlinked title.

...March 4th kicks off with a fantastic 9-film John Garfield marathon. I'd particularly like to call attention to one of his lesser-known films, the "B" movie EAST OF THE RIVER (1940). This Warner Bros. film is an uncredited loose remake of MGM's MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (1934), with Garfield and William Lundigan as adoptive brothers who end up on opposite sides of the law. Brenda Marshall is the girl they both love, and there are also good roles for Marjorie Rambeau and George Tobias.

...A day of radio-themed movies on March 5th includes CAMPUS RHYTHM (1943) starring lovely Gale Storm.

...Last fall I watched A KISS BEFORE DYING (1956) starring Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward, Jeffrey Hunter, and Virginia Leith. The movie owes more than a little to A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951) -- and I frankly found it far more entertaining. It airs March 6th. Mary Astor has a small role in the film, but I'm sneaking it into this post!

...Two films I'll be recording on March 7th: ONE BIG AFFAIR (1952), starring Dennis O'Keefe and Evelyn Keyes, and ENCHANTED ISLAND (1958), starring the interesting combination of Dana Andrews and Jane Powell.

...The Friday Night Spotlight theme for March is "Food in the Movies." On March 7th the titles include MOSTLY MARTHA (2001), a German film which was the basis for the later U.S. film NO RESERVATIONS (2007), which starred Catherine Zeta-Jones.

...TCM's memorial tribute to Shirley Temple is Sunday, March 9th. Eight films on are the agenda, including HEIDI (1937), THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939), I'LL BE SEEING YOU (1944), and THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947).

...There's a wonderful tribute to actress Ruth Roman on Monday, March 10th. The eight films in the lineup include THE WINDOW (1949), in which she terrorizes a little boy who saw her commit a murder; COLT .45 (1950), in which she's a strong heroine who manages to dynamite herself out of trouble; the fun Gary Cooper Western DALLAS (1950); the thriller LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (1050) with Richard Todd and Zachary Scott; Hitchcock's classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951); and Anthony Mann's THE FAR COUNTRY (1955), starring James Stewart. (I hope to see THE FAR COUNTRY on a big screen at UCLA on March 23rd!) All in all March 10th might be a good day to call in sick and enjoy a wonderful lineup.

...On March 11th Tom Conway and Hillary Brooke star in Andrew L. Stone's CONFIDENCE GIRL (1952). It's certainly not the greatest movie ever made, but as a fan of "B" movies and those involved, I found it diverting.

...The "Food in the Movies" series continues on March 14th with four more films, including CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945). When I think of that movie I always remember Barbara Stanwyck flipping pancakes!

...If it's March it's time to start thinking about baseball, and TCM has IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING (1949) on the schedule on March 15th. This baseball fantasy from 20th Century-Fox stars Ray Milland, Jean Peters, and Paul Douglas.

...March 16th another Fox film is on the schedule, JESSE JAMES (1939), with Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, and Randolph Scott in glorious Technicolor.

...TCM never misses celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and this year the lineup includes MY WILD IRISH ROSE (1947) with Dennis Morgan, YOUNG CASSIDY (1965) with Rod Taylor, and FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968) with Fred Astaire.

...March 18th the titles include the colorful MGM musical TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE (1950) with a marvelous cast including Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, and Debbie Reynolds. This is the one where cute young Debbie joins with Carleton Carpenter to sing the tongue-twisting "Aba Daba Honeymoon." I'm due for a rewatch!

...FEMALE (1933), starring Ruth Chatterton and George Brent, is one of my very favorite pre-Codes. It's a fast-moving 61 minutes, and it features some amazing set design. It's on March 21st.

...As a matter of fact, I could happily watch TCM all day on the 21st! Other titles include the classic comedy BACHELOR MOTHER (1939) with Ginger Rogers; Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas in the romantic comedy THIRD FINGER, LEFT HAND (1940); Kay Francis in PLAY GIRL (1940); Joan Leslie in CINDERELLA JONES (1946); Kathryn Grayson and June Allyson in TWO SISTERS FROM BOSTON (1946); Leslie Caron in a wonderful take on Cinderella, THE GLASS SLIPPER (1955); and to top it all off, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), which I just reviewed a few days ago. A wonderful lineup.

...The taut submarine film RUN SILENT RUN DEEP (1958) airs on March 22nd. Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster star.

...The great Audrey Totter acts opposite a camera in Robert Montgomery's experimental LADY IN THE LAKE (1947) on March 23rd. The Oscars may have inexcusably forgotten Totter when they prepared their memorial reel for last night's Oscar ceremony, but her star will always burn brightly in the hearts of film noir fans. As Aubyn Tweeted, "Oscars may have forgotten Audrey Totter but no true fan of film noir ever could. Hail to the Queen, baby."

...While LADY IN THE LAKE featured Robert Montgomery's version of Philip Marlowe, Dick Powell played Chandler's detective in MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) airing the very next day, on March 24th.

...A night of navy films includes Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Kathryn Grayson in the Technicolor confection ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945) on March 24th.

...Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan star in the granddaddy of the Tarzan films, TARZAN, THE APE MAN (1932) on March 26th.

...Last year I watched as many programmers directed by Lew Landers as I could get my hands on, finding them consistently enjoyable entertainment. One of the very best is FLIGHT FROM GLORY (1937), which airs on March 27th. Chester Morris and Van Heflin star as pilots working for a rickety air service in the Andes, a couple of years before the similarly themed Howard Hawks classic ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939). Landers and company show what good actors and creative filmmakers can do on a limited budget. I included it in my "Favorite Discoveries" guest column for Rupert Pupkin Speaks.

...The final night of "Food in the Movies" on March 28th includes BIG NIGHT (1996), which I reviewed just a few months ago. This film about a struggling restaurant has a cast which includes Stanley Tucci, Minnie Driver, and Allison Janney; Tucci cowrote and codirected. It's a slow-moving but absorbing film which builds to a beautiful ending, a wordless scene shot in one very long take. The movie is worth watching just to get to that moment.

...Fritz Lang's WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (1956) is worth watching just to enjoy the all-star cast doing their thing: Dana Andrews, George Sanders, Ida Lupino, Rhonda Fleming, Thomas Mitchell, and Vincent Price lead a deep cast. It's on March 29th.

...Esther Williams plays swimming star Annette Kellerman in MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1942) on March 30th. Victor Mature and Walter Pidgeon costar.

...On March 31st TCM airs EVA MARIE SAINT: LIVE FROM THE TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL. This was filmed at the Avalon Hollywood during the 2013 festival.

For more on TCM in March, please consult the complete schedule.

As a postscript, Fox Movie Channel has stopped putting their schedule online; that and an extremely repetitive schedule have made it difficult to attempt doing a separate Fox Movie Channel post in recent months. Very recently FMC has rotated some movies onto the schedule which haven't aired there in a while, and I particularly recommend I'D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951) on March 5th. It's a lovely piece of Americana about a rural minister and his wife, starring William Lundigan and Susan Hayward, directed by Henry King.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Turner Classic Movies is celebrating the channel's 20th anniversary with a free limited time movie locations tour in Los Angeles. The tours will take place March 14th to April 14th. TCM has been running movie location tours in New York for a few months now, but this will mark the first time they've sponsored tours in L.A. Tickets have been going quickly, but if there are any left, book here. I'm happy to say that I have a ticket for the very first tour on March 14th and I'll be reporting on it here!

...My latest article for ClassicFlix is on Loretta Young, including DVD recommendations for several of Young's best films.

...The Academy always manages to leave someone important out of their "In Memoriam" tribute reel, and this year it was the great Audrey Totter. I paid tribute to Audrey at the time of her passing last December. It's a shame the Academy continues to demonstrate it's not really serious about the industry's great past, it's only serious about "who's cool now" and of course TV ratings.

...Vienna called my attention to the 2005 book GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOR: THE MOVIES' MAGIC RAINBOW by Fred E. Basten. Want to check this one out!

...Judy has a thoughtful post on Douglas Sirk's ALL I DESIRE (1953) at Movie Classics. You can also check out my take on the film back in 2010. The film is part of the Barbara Stanwyck Collection.

...Last weekend I reviewed THE WIND RISES (2013), the excellent new animated film from Hiyao Miyazaki now being released in the United States. Coming in April: THE ART OF THE WIND RISES.

...Jacqueline's latest Ann Blyth post at Another Old Movie Blog is on ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST (1948), a prequel to THE LITTLE FOXES (1941). I haven't yet seen the film but I really enjoyed Jacqueline's in-depth analysis of the characters and their interactions. Edmond O'Brien and Dan Duryea costar. This Universal film needs to come out on DVD!

...In recent years I've read a few negative things here and there on GIGI (1958) which show that the writers were in front of a movie screen but didn't actually see the movie, to paraphrase one of the comments at the Self-Styled Siren's blog. The Siren launches a full-throated defense of this lovely film. My only quibble is her slight dig at Charles Walters, who did a seamless job on retakes.

...An interesting new book, especially for someone such as myself who's a big fan of MAVERICK: ROY HUGGINS: CREATOR OF MAVERICK, 77 SUNSET STRIP, THE FUGITIVE and THE ROCKFORD FILES by Paul Green. It was just published by McFarland Press. Huggins, incidentally, was married to actress Adele Mara.

...I just received the new Criterion edition of my favorite Hitchcock film, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940). Looks like it has lots of great extras! Glenn Erickson, Mike Clark, and Leonard Maltin review the film and new release.

...Glenn Erickson also enjoyed JUPITER'S DARLING (1955), an Esther Williams musical released last year by the Warner Archive. It's always been one of my younger daughter's favorite Esther films.

...I really want to see Joan Fontaine and Burt Lancaster in KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1948), reviewed by Marilyn at Ferdy on Films.

...The Favorite Discoveries posts at Rupert Pupkin Speaks are always fun reading. The latest list by that blog's proprietor has a number of titles I've really enjoyed as well as good ideas for future viewing.

...The latest reviews and discussions at Riding the High Country are on Gary Cooper in THE HANGING TREE (1959) and Robert Taylor in THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN HAWKS (1959).

...This week's YouTube find: BUCK BENNY RIDES AGAIN (1940), starring Jack Benny, Ellen Drew, and an amazing cast. This film is fondly recalled by a relative, and I hope to check it out soon. As always, remember that films tend to disappear quickly from the internet so anyone interested should check it out without delay.

...Thoughts on the films of 1948 from MC at Happy Thoughts, Darling.

...There are a lot of great blogathons coming up! A few are listed at Movies Silently.

...Stephen Tobolowsky, who played obnoxious insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in GROUNDHOG DAY (1993), wrote a warm tribute to the movie's late director, Harold Ramis.

...Coming in the next few days: a review of MAJESTIC HOLLYWOOD: THE GREATEST FILMS OF 1939 by Mark Vieira. Lined up for review in future weeks: VIVIEN LEIGH: A BIOGRAPHY by Kendra Bean and THE CRIME FILMS OF ANTHONY MANN by Max Alvarez.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: 3 Days to Kill (2014)

Another new movie seen this weekend! This could turn out to be a record-setting year for me in terms of seeing brand-new movies on the big screen. It's quite rare that I see more than a handful of new titles, and here it is two months into the year and I've already seen half a dozen!

I first learned about 3 DAYS TO KILL (2014) thanks to a review by my friend Deb at Sidewalk Crossings, and I also enjoyed it very much. The film is an eccentric mashup of 007 and domestic drama, with a touch of medical sci-fi on the side. One definitely needs to suspend disbelief at the outset, but any Kevin Costner fan willing to go along for the ride is likely to have a good time with this film.

I've been a Costner fan since his breakout role in SILVERADO (1985), and, as always, he owns the screen. Costner plays Ethan Renner, a 007-style CIA agent exceptionally skilled in carrying out hits on terrorists and other bad actors.

Hospitalized after a mission, he learns that his cough is the result of terminal cancer, and he determines to spend his remaining time connecting with his estranged wife (Connie Nielsen) and daughter (Hailee Steinfeld), who live in Paris.

Then suddenly Vivi (Amber Heard) shows up, a CIA agent who wants Ethan to undertake the proverbial "one last mission." As payment Vivi dangles immediate treatment with an experimental drug which might delay or cure his cancer. With the drug plus assurance of a large payout to take care of his family when he's gone, Ethan sets in motion plans to take out the bad guy -- the very same week he's watching out for his teenage daughter while his wife is on a business trip. No one ever said being a real dad would be easy...

Costner is the essence of a genuine movie star, the kind that's fairly rare in this day and age. Here he's terrific as an agent for whom taking out bad guys is just another day at the office; he's no longer young but the benefit is he knows every trick in the book.

One of the scenes I enjoyed most is when Ethan rescues his daughter from being attacked by some men at a nightclub. She has no idea what her father does for a living and discovers that ol' dad is someone you don't mess with! (If only she remembered it the next day...) There are some very nice and believable scenes where they reconnect; her response to his exasperation regarding her not knowing how to ride a bike is genuinely touching.

In one of the more unexpected twists, Ethan develops a relationship with a source he regularly pummels for information, as he also pumps him for parenting advice. Another source provides Ethan's daughter with a pasta sauce recipe! In a smart move, the filmmakers made sure that the two potential targets humanized in this way survive.

In another wise decision, the script avoids the usual cliche of the baddies targeting Ethan's wife or daughter. It was a relief they were left alone as part of Ethan's personal story, although they happen to be at the event where the final shootout takes place. Likewise, we're teased that something might have happened to a likeable family of squatters who have taken over Ethan's run-down Paris apartment, but good decisions were made there as well.

The issue of Ethan's illness is also handled with a light touch. The movie is a fantasy take on the disease, with a magical antidote which extends his life. Either you want to buy into it or you don't.

In short, this is a relaxing, fun time at the movies. It won't ever win an Oscar, but it will provide a couple hours of quite diverting entertainment, and I was happy I spent time with it. It's a movie I'll want to watch again in the future.

Heard was particularly fun as Ethan's CIA handler Vivi, herself a ruthless assassin on the side of the good guys. Vivi is an ersatz Mary Poppins who floats in and out of Ethan's life, showing up with his missing watch or bike -- or to offer experimental medical treatment -- wearing a different "look" every time. One of the best shots in the movie is simply of her high-heeled shoe kicking a gun during the climatic shoot-out -- really a well-done moment. There's also a great shot of her at the end, raising more questions than answers.

The movie runs 117 minutes and was directed by McG (THIS MEANS WAR). The script was by Luc Besson and Adi Hasak. It was filmed by Thierry Arbogast.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for some sensuality, language, and violence. In terms of all three it's a pretty mild PG-13 rating.  The violence is of the bloodless, cartoony nature of movies like MR. & MRS. SMITH (2005), THE TOURIST (2010), KNIGHT AND DAY (2010), and other films of that type.

The trailer is at IMDb.

Additional "new" movies reviewed this year: JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (2014), THE MONUMENTS MEN (2014), THE LEGO MOVIE (2014), THE WIND RISES (2013), and NON-STOP (2014).

Tonight's Movie: Railroaded! (1947) at UCLA

Time to return to UCLA tonight for another great double bill in the ongoing Anthony Mann Festival! I was glad to have the chance to enjoy these films with my friend Blake Lucas.

Tonight paired two of director Mann's 1947 film noir titles, DESPERATE and RAILROADED! I had previously seen DESPERATE on DVD back in 2011 and enjoyed it even more this time. Since that viewing I've seen lead actor Steve Brodie in a number of other films, mostly Westerns, and liked Audrey Long in BORN TO KILL, another film from 1947. It was fun to circle back to DESPERATE and watch it again in the context of greater appreciation for each of their careers.

The 35mm prints UCLA had planned to show for both of tonight's films proved to be unavailable, so DESPERATE was shown in 16mm. After a rough-looking first couple of minutes, this print proved to be quite good and provided a very enjoyable viewing experience. I was glad I'd decided to revisit this fast-moving film, which has an excellent supporting turn by Jason Robards Sr. as a police detective.

Unfortunately RAILROADED! was shown in a digital print which must frankly be described as ghastly, far below UCLA's usual standards; there were annoying digital lines across the poor picture, which periodically went black. A number of people walked out. I'll happily watch a hard-to-find film in any condition, but I must confess I was surprised UCLA showed that print instead of changing the program.

Since I'd made the effort to get there I stuck with it, and the film was intriguing enough to hold the interest despite a less-than-optimal viewing situation. The film was quite entertaining, a fast-moving 72 minutes, and I enjoyed it very much.

Duke (John Ireland) and Clara (Jane Randolph of CAT PEOPLE) collaborate on the robbery of the bookie operation which runs in the back room of Clara's beauty salon.

When things go awry and a cop is killed, Clara and Duke frame the innocent Steve Ryan (Ed Kelly). Steve is arrested by Sgt. Mickey Ferguson (Hugh Beaumont), and Steve's spunky sister Rosie (Sheila Ryan) immediately goes to work to clear her brother's name.

The bright script by John C. Higgins has some wonderful dialogue, including a nice sparring relationship between the police sergeant and the accused man's sister; sparks fly as they battle and then eventually collaborate on the case.

There are some beautifully shot moments, discernible even with a poor print, and the fun scenes include a knock-down, drag-out brawl between Clara and Rosie. Jane Randolph does a very good job as the alcoholic tough cookie who gradually falls apart, realizing that the guy she's hooked on really doesn't care about her, and John Ireland makes an interesting villain (perfumed bullets?!). I think I actually jumped the second time he smacked Jane Randolph, he was one hate-filled guy.

Among the supporting cast I especially liked Mack Williams as Doc, the criminologist. I always enjoy '40s era police procedural scenes! The cast also includes Charles D. Brown, Clancy Cooper, Keefe Brasselle, and Peggy Gordon. It was fun to recognize Ellen Corby who pops up in a scene.

The movie was filmed in black and white by Guy Roe.

I'm fortunate to have this film in my DVD collection thanks to the kindness of my friend Kristina, and I plan to revisit the movie very soon with a better picture.

The DVD can be rented from Netflix or ClassicFlix.

In addition to the DVD, RAILROADED! has been released on VHS.

Earlier films seen in this series: DR. BROADWAY (1942), which was paired with the previously reviewed TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945); THE MAN FROM LARAMIE (1955), shown with the previously reviewed STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (1944); THE NAKED SPUR (1953), shown with the previously reviewed HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948); and THE LAST FRONTIER (1955), seen with the previously reviewed STRANGE IMPERSONATION (1947).

Tonight's Movie: Non-Stop (2014)

2014 is starting off well for me as far as brand-new movies are concerned.

Whereas in 2013 I was only interested in seeing three new films the entire year -- all from Disney! -- here it is mid-February and I've already seen four new movies, all of which I've enjoyed. Today's "new" film was the aviation thriller NON-STOP (2014), an entertaining blending of old-fashioned Agatha Christie style suspense with modern technology.

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a troubled federal air marshal who relies too much on alcohol and cigarettes to make it through his day. Bill is a white-knuckle flyer, at least when it comes to takeoffs, but just when he should be relaxing into a routine flight to London, he begins receiving a series of disturbing text messages. The texts, which reveal the sender also knows about Bill's private life, promise that someone aboard the flight will die every 20 minutes unless $150 million is wired to a bank account.

As time passes and bodies do indeed begin to mount, Bill must suspect anyone and everyone, including the friendly woman sitting next to him (Julianne Moore), stewardess Nancy (Michelle Dockery of DOWNTON ABBEY), a tough-looking cop (Corey Stoll), a Muslim doctor (Omar Metwally), and any number of other possibilities aboard the flight. An even bigger problem presents itself as the flight goes on and Bill learns that he's been framed so that law enforcement on the ground, and hence the pilots, believe that he is the hijacker.

I found this movie highly enjoyable, particularly as I love airplane movies. It probably helps not to overthink the plot too much, as some aspects seem a bit weak, including the willingness of TSA to immediately believe the worst of their marshal. (The other air marshal on the flight and the buffoonish voices on the ground don't exactly inspire confidence in the organization.) That said, anyone willing to simply go along for the ride with Neeson will have a good time in this fast-moving thriller.

Neeson is excellent, playing a character walking so close to the emotional edge that it's entirely believable the airplane passengers could believe that he's there to hurt rather than help them. He's a man walking an emotional tightrope who could easily be perceived at certain moments as irrational. That said, you don't mess with Neeson's Bill Marks, who's going to do everything in his power to save the plane and its passengers, whether they appreciate him or not.

The film is in many ways very familiar, in the best "movie comfort food" way -- in fact, the technique used to bump off one of the characters is something I saw in an "old"  film just a few months ago! I was having trouble at first recalling what the movie was, but thanks to the answer to my query on Twitter, I believe it was the Nick Carter Mystery SKY MURDER (1940), starring Walter Pidgeon.

While the film mashes up an old-fashioned AND THEN THERE WERE NONE style mystery with the classic airline disaster formula -- all that's missing is an all-star cast of passengers -- at the same time this film, with its reliance on modern technology, could only be made in 2014. Cell phones, texting, and onboard TV are all integral to the plot; the movie found a creative way to blow up the text messages into easy-to-read visuals. A cracked cell phone screen partially obliterating swear words was also a clever device to imply the words without actually showing them.

I especially loved the realistic touch that periodically various passengers are seen shooting pictures and video of what's happening on their smartphones! The ultimate "reveal" of the highjacker is a bit flat, as it's fairly random and there's a lack of foreshadowing or understandable motivation, but the way Bill discovers whodunit is entirely 2014, and that's one of the movie's pleasures.

Leonard Maltin found the film "wildly entertaining," while Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times says NON-STOP is "a crisp, efficient thriller that benefits greatly from the intangibles Neeson can be counted on to supply." Other reviews have been more mixed, but Maltin and Turan both felt, as I do, that it's quite an entertaining film despite its flaws. This is one I'm going to be picking up on DVD and adding to my "airplane" collection.

NON-STOP runs 106 minutes. It was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and filmed by Flavio Martinez Labiano.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13, which seemed about right to me based on language and a couple of brief disturbing visuals. Otherwise it's a fairly traditional-style airline disaster film.

The trailer is at IMDb.

NON-STOP provides a good time and is recommended for anyone who's looking for a fun "popcorn movie."