Tonight's Movie: Outpost in Malaya (1952) - An MGM Blu-ray Review

The post-World War II action film OUTPOST IN MALAYA (1952) was just released on Blu-ray by MGM.

Jim and Liz Frazer (Jack Hawkins and Claudette Colbert) and their young son Mike (Peter Asher) live on a rubber plantation in Malaya in the early '50s.

The Frazer marriage has survived wartime imprisonment in Japanese camps, including the death of one of their children, but their relationship has now been pushed to the breaking point.

Jim is under pressure to protect their estate from local bandits who are terrorizing the community; things are bad enough that planters get check calls from the military every few hours. Meanwhile he's paying scant attention to Liz, partly because he's so concerned about providing for her safety.

Liz is on the verge of taking Mike to boarding school in England and is considering staying there unless Jim can show some interest in the future of their marriage. Before she can leave, things go from bad to worse and the Frazers' home is under attack; Jim's careful preparations for such an eventuality may not be enough. Ironically, the attack may also reset the Frazers' fading relationship.

OUTPOST IN MALAYA is a fairly engrossing 91 minutes, alternating suspenseful action with marital melodrama; it has a bit of a split personality in this regard, with Jim romancing Liz in the middle of an assault on their home, but it remains engaging. Director Ken Annakin (SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON) keeps things moving along nicely.

While Jim has made considerable plans to repel an attack on his estate, at times the Frazers don't seem to recognize the depth of the threats they're facing. Or perhaps they do, but are inured to the danger to some extent, having survived the worst life has to offer during the war. One would think that at least they would show more concern for the safety of their little boy, however, having already lost his sibling.

Hawkins and Colbert are well matched and enjoyable to watch, with Anthony Steel engaging as Hugh, their friend in the local military. There are hints Hugh may be interested in Liz himself, given the very personal nature of his conversations with Liz, but in the end he seems to be genuinely invested in helping his friends save their marriage.

The film's supporting cast includes Ram Gopal, Tom Macauley, Jeremy Spenser, Helen Guss, and Bill Travers.

The screenplay was by Guy Elmes and Peter Proud, based on the novel THE PLANTER'S WIFE by S.C. George. The movie was shown under the novel's title in the UK.

OUTPOST IN MALAYA was filmed in black and white by Geoffrey Unsworth, and MGM's Blu-ray print shows off his cinematography nicely. The movie was filmed in England, with lots of second unit photography which required some obvious use of process shots, but the work is pretty good as these things go.

In the end, while the script could have used some polishing, I enjoyed OUTPOST IN MALAYA and was particularly glad to see a new-to-me film starring one of my favorite actresses, Claudette Colbert. This is a nice-looking disc and a worthwhile pickup for fans of the lead actors.

MGM's disc has an option for English-language subtitles but no extras.

Thanks to Allied Vaughn and MGM for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. OUTPOST IN MALAYA may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...While at the Lone Pine Film Festival last fall, I was excited to learn directly from author Scott Eyman that he was working on a biography of Joan Crawford. It's now been announced by publisher Simon & Schuster that the book will be out on November 18th, 2025; the title is JOAN CRAWFORD: A WOMAN'S FACE. I'm very interested in getting Eyman's take on the beloved-yet-controversial actress.

...CineSavant Glenn Erickson's latest reviews include the Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of TOPKAPI (1964).

...GENERAL HOSPITAL celebrates its 62nd anniversary on April 1st, and as part of that, the show will honor Dr. Monica Quartermaine, the character played for decades by the late Leslie Charleson. Charleson is seen here at the bottom left, with fellow longtime cast members John J. York, Genie Francis, Kristina Wagner, and Jon Lindstrom.

...Warner Bros. plans to demolish the building where Looney Tunes cartoons were created dating from the '50s.

...The blog Dear Mr. Gable shares lovely photos of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who married March 29, 1939.  The post includes a reprint of a 1939 article, "The Gables at Home," which is a fun read.

...Notable Passings: Clive Revill, who voiced the Emperor in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), has passed on at the age of 94. EMPIRE is one of my all-time favorite films...Dennis Arndt, a busy working actor for decades, has died at 86. He had a recurring role as attorney Jack Sollers on L.A. LAW.

...Please note that Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear on April 5th, when I'll be spending the day attending multiple events, including an appearance by ADAM-12 star Kent McCord at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. The column will return on Saturday, April 12th.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my March 22nd column.

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New Classic Movie Hub Column: Lots of Western Movie News!

My latest Western RoundUp column has now been posted at Classic Movie Hub!

This month I share a wide variety of news items related to Western movies, including new and upcoming disc releases, film festivals, and more.

Please click over to Classic Movie Hub to check out my column, and thanks very much for reading!

Previous Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp Column Links: June 2018; July 2018; August 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; April 5, 2019; April 30, 2019; May 2019; June 2019; July 2019; August 2019; September 2019; October 2019; November 2019; December 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; April 2020; May 2020; June 2020; July 2020; August 2020; September 2020; October 2020; November 2020; December 2020; January 2021; February 2021; March 2021; May 2021; June 2021; June 2021 (No. 2); July 2021; August 2021; September 2021; November 2021; December 2021; December 2021 (No. 2); January 2022; February 2022; March 2022; April 2022; May 2022; June 2022; July 2022; August 2022; September 2022; November 2022; November 2022 (No. 2); January 2023 (No. 1); January 2023 (No. 2); March 2023; April 2023; May 2023 (No. 1); May 2023 (No. 2); June 2023; July 2023; September 2023; September 2023 (No. 2); October 2023; November 2023; December 2023; January 2024; February 2024; March 2024; April 2024; May 2024; June 2024; July 2024; August 2024; September 2024; October 2024; November 2024; December 2024; January 2025; February 2025.

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Tonight's Movie: The Enforcer (1951) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

I first saw Humphrey Bogart in THE ENFORCER (1951) last year at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs.

I absolutely loved the movie but didn't have time to review it at that point, so I was delighted to revisit the the film thanks to Kino Lorber's Dark Side of Cinema XXII collection.

I must have read about THE ENFORCER in books on Bogart once upon a time, but nothing seems to have stuck in my mind, and I thus first saw this movie completely "cold." It proved to be a very happy experience, and the film is so good it remained completely engrossing viewing it a second time 10 months later.

Bogart plays District Attorney Martin Ferguson, who's on the verge of convicting a killer named Mendoza (Everett Sloane) when Mendoza's confederate, Rico (Ted de Corsia), turns state's evidence.

Rico is terrified, and with good reason, as hit men (including one played by Bob Steele) are after him.

Rico does die near the outset of the film, and Ferguson is facing the prospect of having to let Mendoza walk free due to the lack of enough evidence for a conviction. Ferguson and Police Captain Frank Nelson (Roy Roberts) spend hours combing through evidence books and interview tapes desperately searching for something else which might be enough to keep Mendoza in prison and take him to trial.

Directors Bretaigne Windust and the uncredited Raoul Walsh keep the story moving forward at a rapid pace for all of its 87 minutes, building to an exciting climax.

The movie at times seems to have as many flashbacks as THE LOCKET (1946), but it works very well thanks to Martin Racklin's well-constructed and engrossing screenplay. I even wondered if perhaps Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW (1963) drew any inspiration from this film, as far as the use of flashbacks to explain a police investigation.

One of the interesting aspects of the film is that terms such as "contract" and "hit man" were apparently new concepts mid century, with the police initially confused by these references.

Bogart plays a fairly button-down, "by the book" character, but his charisma does a great deal to maintain interest. I especially enjoyed Bogart's relationship with Roy Roberts, who's essentially repeating his police detective character from HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948); they share a large number of scenes, and it's enjoyable watching these two pros discussing their case.

I also especially enjoyed King Donovan as a police sergeant. Susan Cabot and Patricia Joiner play two young women whose lives are in danger. The cast includes many more interesting faces including Zero Mostel, Lawrence (Michael) Tolan, Don Beddoe, Tito Vuolo, John Maxwell, Ralph Dunn, John Kellogg, Jack Lambert, and more.

The movie was filmed in atmospheric black and white by Robert Burks.

Kino Lorber's good-looking Blu-ray print is from an HD master of a 4K scan.

THE ENFORCER was previously available on DVD and Blu-ray from the now-defunct Olive Films. Happily Kino Lorber has now reissued several of Olive's releases, including THE ENFORCER, and in some cases also included new commentary tracks.

THE ENFORCER has a commentary track by Alan K. Rode, who in a nice "full circle" connection is also the producer and host of the Arthur Lyons Festival, where I first saw the movie!

This set, which also contains the previously reviewed THE SCARLET HOUR (1956) and PLUNDER ROAD (1957), is highly enjoyable and very much recommended.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Movie Zyng is hosting a Warner Archive Collection 16th Anniversary Blu-ray sale through March 31, 2025. Use the code ARCHIVE16 to get four discs for $49, with additional Blu-rays priced at $12.25.

...A trailer is now up for FIGHT FOR GLORY (2025), the Apple TV documentary on the 2024 World Series in which the Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the New York Yankees.

...Coming in 2026 from Film Masters and the 3D Archive: CAT WOMEN OF THE MOON (1954) starring Marie Windsor and Sonny Tufts. I have to see this!

...THE PEACEMAKER (1997), starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, is "coming soon" from Kino Lorber. I saw it many years ago but can't say I remember it well; I'm curious to revisit it.

...Bear Manor Media has a Q&A with Laura Jerrolds, author of LAURA LA PLANTE: SILENT CINDERELLA.

...Hallmark has announced plans for a six-episode Christmas series starring Jane Seymour and Mary McDonnell. The working title is THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS.

...As many of my readers are aware, Jeff Arnold of Jeff Arnold's West sadly passed away last summer, which I noted here. His site is being maintained by two longtime readers, Bud and RR, and they're doing a fine job. I particularly want to mention that they are regularly featuring new posts on a range of topics, such as visiting McCrea Ranch, reviewing Robert Nott's book on RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (1962), and reviewing lots of fun "B" Westerns, such as THE THREE OUTLAWS (1956). I encourage readers to click over and spend some time enjoying the site.

...Glenn Erickson's latest reviews at Trailers From Hell include OUTPOST IN MALAYA (1952) starring Claudette Colbert. It's just been released on Blu-ray by MGM. I'll be reviewing it here soon.

...Over at 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby Roan reviews JOHNNY RENO (1966) starring Dana Andrews and Jane Russell.

...Coming to UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater on April 4th, a tribute to the late David Lynch, with a marathon screening of the seven episodes of his short-lived TV series ON THE AIR (1992). Ian Buchanan, better known to me from his role as Duke on GENERAL HOSPITAL, starred on the show and will be at the theater in person.

...A reminder that the Noir City Hollywood Festival is now underway at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Films will be screened this weekend and then the 27th through the 30th. Complete details are in this post.

...A tribute to the late film historian Michael Schlesinger is set for the afternoon of April 6th at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to celebrateschlesinger@gmail.com.

...Notable Passings: Actor-Stuntman Jack Lilley has passed away at the age of 91. Melissa Gilbert of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, where Lilley served as a stuntman and bit player, called him "one of my favorite people on the planet." Lilley also played bit parts on MAVERICK and many other TV Westerns...Actor Wings Hauser has died at 77. He appeared in many TV shows over the years. His son Cole Hauser is in the cast of YELLOWSTONE.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my March 15th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in May

Here's a quick advance peek at some of the programming coming to Turner Classic Movies in May 2025!

Mae West will, fittingly, be the May Star of the Month. Her films will be featured on the first three Sunday evenings of the month.  The titles are still being finalized.

The May Noir Alley titles are RIFFRAFF (1947), THE KILLERS (1946), TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954), CORNERED (1945), and THE BIG STEAL (1949).  

CORNERED was chosen to fit with the theme of the annual Memorial Day Weekend war movies marathon which will begin on Friday evening, May 23rd, and run through prime time on Monday, May 26th.

I'm especially happy that Westerns will be featured in prime time every Tuesday and Thursday evening in May.  The schedule begins with silent Westerns and runs through the 1970s.

Additional May programming themes will include New York apartments, airplanes, biographies, horror, mysteries, and Iowa.

Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated on May 5th with a lineup which includes several Mexican Spitfire films starring Lupe Velez. Mother's Day, on May 11th, will also featured themed viewing including I REMEMBER MAMA (1948) and MILDRED PIERCE (1945).

Gene Hackman will be honored with a memorial tribute on May 12th. 

Additional filmmakers celebrated with multifilm tributes in May are Stanley Kramer, Norman Lloyd, Alexis Smith, Katharine Hepburn, Keiko Kishi, Margaret Sullavan, John Cromwell, Leslie Caron, Howard Hawks, Louis Armstrong, and Robert Montgomery.

I'll have much more on the May schedule posted here around the first of that month. In the meantime, Barbara Stanwyck continues as the March Star of the Month, with Red Skelton coming in April.

Related post: Book Review: The Mae West Films. The book was written by James L. Neibaur, and it makes an excellent companion to the upcoming Mae West viewing schedule.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here's actress Peggy Knudsen in a studio publicity shot to celebrate the holiday.

Knudsen's grandson, via her 11-year marriage to Jim Jordan Jr. (son of "Fibber McGee and Molly"), is screenwriter John Orloff, creator of MASTERS OF THE AIR.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Previous St. Patrick's Day Posts: 2013 (Maureen O'Hara), 2014 (Angela Greene), 2015 (actresses in green), 2016 (Maureen O'Hara), 2017 (more actresses in green), 2018 (posters for Irish-themed movies), 2019 (Maureen O'Sullivan), 2020 (THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRISH photo gallery), 2021 (GOING MY WAY sheet music); 2022 (Arlene Dahl); 2023 (Dorothy Malone); 2024 (Lori Nelson).

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Tonight's Movie: The Scarlet Hour (1956) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE SCARLET HOUR (1956) has had its long-awaited U.S. release for home viewing as part of the Kino Lorber Dark Side of Cinema XXII collection.

I was fortunate to see this previously overlooked film at the 2019 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. Although this Paramount Pictures movie has had releases in Europe and Australia, to my knowledge this new Blu-ray is its first U.S. disc release. I've been unable to verify whether it ever was released on VHS.

THE SCARLET HOUR is a twisty 95-minute crime film directed by Michael Curtiz. It was filmed in slick-looking black and white VistaVision by Lionel Lindon, shown off to excellent effect on Kino Lorber's Blu-ray.

Carol Ohmart plays Pauline "Paulie" Nevins, who is unhappily married to the older Ralph (James Gregory), a real estate developer. Paulie is having an affair with Ralph's righthand man, "Marsh" Marshall (played by future novelist Tom Tryon).

One evening the couple are parked at a lovers' lane when a trio of men pull up. Paulie and Marsh stay out of sight as they listen to the men plan a lucrative burglary. Paulie then gets the idea that if she and Marsh swipe the jewelry from the burglars, they'll have enough to run away together.

Oh, what a tangled web...especially as Ralph has become suspicious of Paulie and follows her on the night of the fateful burglary.

I'll hold off saying anything further to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say this is a well-played and engaging film with a couple fun plot developments which come out of left field.

This was my second time to watch the movie, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. That's due in part to the excellent cast, with Ohmart terrific as a woman who's simultaneously icy and red hot, depending on what she wants.

Tryon is just right as her slightly dim-witted dupe, and Gregory is his usual dependable self as her husband. Ralph wants to make things right with his wife, but unfortunately he also has a violent side; Gregory somehow manages to be both touching and creepy.

The marvelous supporting cast includes Jody Lawrance as Ralph's secretary, who quietly carries a torch for Marsh; E.G. Marshall and Edward Binns as the detectives on the case; future Emmy-winner David Lewis (GENERAL HOSPITAL) as the burglary victim; Richard Deacon as a jewelry store employee; and Elaine Stritch as Paulie's friend.

When I watched the film I remembered spotting famed "dress extra" Bess Flowers in a nightclub scene the first time around; I was then able to add her to the film's IMDb cast.

Best of all, the movie features Nat King Cole performing twice at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The Jay Livingston-Ray Evans song "Never Let Me Go," which I knew long before the movie, was written for this film.

The Blu-ray print is an HD master from a 4K scan. As is typical for Kino Lorber, the movie looks and sounds terrific.

Extras consist of a three-film trailer gallery and a commentary track by Michael Curtiz biographer Alan K. Rode.

I need to listen to the commentary to find out if the funeral scene was filmed, as I suspect, across the street from Paramount at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The movie was also shot in several other locations in the Greater Los Angeles area.

The other films in this Dark Side of Cinema collection are THE ENFORCER (1951), a terrific Humphrey Bogart film I'll be reviewing here soon, and the highly enjoyable PLUNDER ROAD (1957). I love all of the Dark Side of Cinema sets, but XXII is especially recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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Latest TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements

TCM has made several interesting announcements in recent days regarding the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival.

A few days ago TCM announced that actress Michelle Pfeiffer will be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theatre during the festival.

Pfeiffer, who incidentally hails from my area in Orange County, will also appear at a screening of THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (1989). Pfeiffer was Oscar-nominated for her role in the film, one of three Best Actress nominations she's received during her career.

There's more information on Pfeiffer and the festival from Mike Barnes at The Hollywood Reporter.

Several additional titles were also just announced for the festival, including a pair of films starring Joan Crawford which will be screened in nitrate prints.

The newly announced titles include:

*MILDRED PIERCE (1945) (nitrate print)

*DAISY KENYON (1947) (nitrate print)

*CINDERELLA (1950) (75th anniversary screening hosted by Leonard Maltin and Mario Cantone)

*THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957)

*FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966)

*BABE (1995) (Special Guest: James Cromwell)

44 movies have now been announced for the festival. The TCM Classic Film Festival typically shows around 80 films, give or take a few titles, so that means we now know roughly half the films to be shown this year.

Based on past history, I anticipate that the complete schedule will probably be out by early April, roughly three weeks ahead of the festival.

The TCM Classic Film Festival will be held in Hollywood from April 24th through 27th, 2025. For more information, please visit the links below along with the official festival site.

March 19th Update: TCM announced today that the opening night film at the Chinese Theatre will be a 45th anniversary screening of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) with George Lucas in attendance.

Previously: TCM Classic Film Festival Tickets on Sale December 10th; New Titles Announced for 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival; Around the Blogosphere This Week (Robert Osborne Award);Latest Titles Announced for 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival; New Titles Announced for TCM Classic Film Festival.

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