Notable Passings

...Actress Billie Mae Richards, who voiced Rudolph in the television Christmas classic RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964), has passed away at the age of 88.

She was billed as Billy Richards to hide the fact that a woman provided Rudolph's voice. She reprised the role in RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR (1976) and RUDOLPH AND FROSTY'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY (1979).

...Actor Kevin McCarthy, who had over 200 film and TV credits dating back to WINGED VICTORY in 1944, has died at the age of 96.

McCarthy's best-known film roles were in DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1951), for which he received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor, and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956). His TV roles include starring on FLAMINGO ROAD (1981) with Mark Harmon. His last credit, a short, was dated this year.

...Actor Harold Gould has passed on, at the age of 86.

Gould had over 190 film and TV credits and was a five-time Emmy nominee. His best-known film work includes THE STING (1973). Like Kevin McCarthy, Gould has a 2010 acting credit.

Gould's survivors include his wife of 60 years.

New Books: Rod Taylor, Gilmore Girls

I came across a couple interesting titles while perusing the Bear Manor Media site. Given the subject matter, I'll be looking into these more closely.

First up is ROD TAYLOR: AN AUSSIE IN HOLLYWOOD, a new biography by Steven Vagg.

I've become a Taylor fan over the past couple years, after seeing him in films like SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963), and I'd like to learn more about him.

Another interesting find: THE GILMORE GIRLS COMPANION by A.S. Berman, due out next month.

The book has a website and a blog.

Given that GILMORE GIRLS is one of my all-time favorite TV series -- some of you may recall that our dog is named Luke! -- I'm looking forward to checking out this book as well. It will include a complete episode guide.

On this topic, for those who are fellow GILMORE fans, I recommend a book of essays on the show, COFFEE AT LUKE'S, edited by Jennifer Crusie.

Tonight's Movie: Footsteps in the Dark (1941)

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK is an amusing lighthearted murder mystery with a congenial cast, though it's far from the best of the genre.

Francis Warren (Errol Flynn) is a wealthy investment counselor who moonlights as F.X. Pettijohn, the writer of scandalous mysteries. Warren's social circle and clients wouldn't approve of his writing career, so he keeps his alternate identity a secret from everyone, even his lovely wife Rita (Brenda Marshall). When Warren tries to help the local police solve a homicide, his secretive behavior causes Rita to think he's seeing another woman.

It's all been done before, but Flynn is quite entertaining as the financier turned murder detective. He puts on a Texas accent in a couple of scenes and is generally a lot of fun; Flynn is a charmer, and it makes one wish he'd done more comedies.

Although the film's leads are a married couple, those hoping for a mystery in the style of the THIN MAN series and similar films will be disappointed, as Rita spends her relatively small amount of screen time worrying about what her husband's doing. She's not clued in till the final scenes of the film.

The mystery itself is reasonably interesting, but the undeveloped relationship between the leads is a missed opportunity and is one of the film's shortcomings. It's all about Flynn's character, with the puzzled, then wounded wife constantly fretting at home. Marshall, who was also Flynn's leading lady in THE SEA HAWK (1940), is pretty but doesn't have much substance to her role.

The excellent supporting cast is led by Allen Jenkins as Warren's chauffeur-turned-secretary, Ralph Bellamy as a dentist, Alan Hale as the bowler-hatted homicide detective, William Frawley as Warren's nemesis on the police force, Lucile Watson as Warren's mother-in-law, and Lee Patrick as a burlesque star. Grant Mitchell, Roscoe Karns, Maris Wrixon, and Turhan Bey also put in appearances.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK was directed by Lloyd Bacon. It was shot in black and white and runs 96 minutes.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK was released on VHS. It can also be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

Update: This film is now available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive.

Tonight's Movie: The Petty Girl (1950)

THE PETTY GIRL is a most enjoyable musical comedy starring Robert Cummings and Joan Caulfield. It's very attractively filmed and has a marvelous supporting cast.

Victoria Braymore (Caulfield) is an orphan who was raised by the board of Braymore College, and she is now the college's youngest professor. On a trip to New York she meets George Petty (Cummings), a former "cheesecake" artist whose "patroness" (Audrey Long) has been pushing him into serious art.

Victoria and George have a series of misadventures, first in New York and then at Braymore College. Victoria's unexpected behavior shocks the college board, but ultimately her time with George frees Victoria from the constraints of a rigid upbringing. In turn, Victoria helps George realize that his true talent isn't high art, but painting beautiful models.

This film was, perhaps a bit unexpectedly, quite delightful. The actors are charming, and the low-key story moves along nicely. I thought the plot was reminiscent of an earlier Columbia film, THEODORA GOES WILD (1936), particularly in the sequences where George appears in Victoria's small town, as well as later on when Victoria shows up at George's apartment and is determined to "free" him. Sure enough, when I checked I discovered both films were based on a story by Mary McCarthy.

THE PETTY GIRL has an additional advantage, a four-song Mercer-Arlen score which includes the lovely "Fancy Free." Victoria sings "Fancy Free" in her first scene, which shows the audience the "real" Victoria under the professorial exterior; the song is later is heard as background music. Caulfield is dubbed by Carole Richards, who later sang for Cyd Charisse and Vera-Ellen.

THE PETTY GIRL has a fine cast. Cummings is both amusing and romantic as the artist, and he has a laugh-out-loud funny scene late in the film when he's attempting to escape from a stage.

My previous familiarity with Joan Caulfield was in one of her first films, BLUE SKIES (1946), with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. I didn't care for her very much in BLUE SKIES, finding her quite bland, but she was utterly charming and quite funny in THE PETTY GIRL, not to mention absolutely lovely. I haven't seen BLUE SKIES in a number of years, so perhaps I should take another look and re-evaluate. I'd like the opportunity to see more of Caulfield's films, including DEAR RUTH (1947) and DEAR WIFE (1949) with William Holden.

The supporting cast is led by Elsa Lanchester, in a scene-stealing performance as the most sympathetic -- and somewhat daffy -- professor at Braymore College. It's fun to note that Lanchester played a far different professor two years later in another film about a straight-laced college girl learning to unbend, DREAMBOAT (1952).

Melville Cooper plays George's straight-laced butler, who has an unexpected penchant for champagne. Mary Wickes is cast as a suspicious board member, and Ian Wolfe is one of the father figures on the staff. John Ridgely is a policeman, and Frank Jenks plays the producer of a burlesque show. IMDb credits Tippi Hedren as the "Ice Box Petty Girl" in a musical number; I didn't recognize her, but it was 13 years before THE BIRDS.

THE PETTY GIRL has a beautiful look, from the set designs (I love the pastel colors in Petty's apartment), to Caulfield's gorgeous dresses by Jean Louis, to the stunning bright blues of the scenes filmed at Lake Arrowhead. The movie would be worth seeing just to enjoy the visuals, but happily there's much more to it than that.

THE PETTY GIRL was directed by Henry Levin. It runs 88 minutes.

THE PETTY GIRL is a Columbia film which isn't available on VHS or DVD. Perhaps it will soon be part of the new Columbia Classics By Request program.

It's been shown in a very nice print on Turner Classic Movies.

THE PETTY GIRL is very enjoyable light entertainment. Like Petty's paintings, it's not serious art, but it's great to look at -- crafted by some of Hollywood's very best.

Columbia Classics DVD-R Site Launches

A few days ago I mentioned the rumor that Columbia would be jumping into the "on demand" DVD-R market alongside Warner Archive and other programs.

Columbia has now launched its Screen Classics By Request website. (2018 Update: This website has not been operational for some years now.)

There are some interesting titles in the initial lineup, including Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons in FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOG (1955), Gary Merrill and Nancy Davis in CRASH LANDING (1958), Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas in THE GUILT OF JANET AMES (1947), and Irene Dunne in OVER 21 (1945). Columbia did a nice job with the cover art of many of the DVDs.

Given the many possibilities from Columbia, however, it seems like a rather dry opening list. We'll have to see what they release in the future and whether the Columbia DVD-Rs will play reliably on all DVD players, which has not always been the case with the Warner Archive discs. It will also be interesting to see how quickly titles are added to the Columbia site.

Hopefully this new "by request" program will not eliminate Sony's production of more Columbia sets with extras; there have been several nice releases in recent months, including the Bad Girls of Film Noir volumes.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the title of greatest interest to me is actually a TV-movie, THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF DR. MEG LAUREL (1979). I'm glad that more of the excellent TV-movies and miniseries of the late '70s and '80s are gradually becoming available to new generations of viewers.

Monday Update: Lou Lumenick hears a rumor that Fox will be joining the "manufactured on demand" business next year. It's sad that Fox's beautiful DVD sets seem to be a thing of the past, but perhaps this will be good news for those of us wanting hard-to-find films like CENTENNIAL SUMMER (the top film on my Fox wish list) and other movies starring Jeanne Crain, Loretta Young, Linda Darnell and others.

September 20th Update: Columbia Classics films will be sold by Deep Discount.

Tonight's Movie: Secret Agent (1936)

Alfred Hitchcock's SECRET AGENT is a relatively little-seen film from his British period in the 1930s. While not quite as good as some of the other films he made in this time frame, it's still quite entertaining, with many of Hitchcock's signature touches. This is a film which deserves to be more widely seen.

The setting is World War I, and a soldier (John Gielgud) is assigned the identity of "Ashenden" and sent to Switzerland on a secret mission to identify and kill a German agent. "The General" (Peter Lorre), a hyperactive killer, is assigned to assist Ashenden, and when Ashenden arrives at his Swiss hotel he discovers his cover also includes a "wife," Elsa (Madeleine Carroll). Elsa's been having a good time flirting with a handsome American, Marvin (Robert Young), but she also finds herself attracted to her new "husband."

Ashenden and Elsa's initial patriotic enthusiasm for their assignment dwindles as they face the reality of having to kill someone. However, events move them inexorably closer to their goal, while simultaneously Elsa tries to sort out her romantic feelings.

The movie is quite funny in spots, with dry British humor mixed with Lorre's over-the-top antics and Young's brash charm. (Lorre's womanizing "General" dismantles a bathroom in rage when he discovers he wasn't assigned a "wife" as well.) There was one plot turn I found disturbing, but otherwise I liked the movie very much. It's got an excellent cast, a somewhat unique script, and a couple of excellent Hitchcockian set pieces, most notably a sequence in a Swiss chocolate factory, as the General helplessly watches a chocolate box with a damaging note travel along a conveyor belt.

The ending is clearly done using model trains, which seems to have been typical of British films of the era, including THE LADY VANISHES (1938) and NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940). I was a bit perplexed by why Lorre's character did something near the end of the movie, but all in all the film builds to a solid climax.

Gielgud made very few films at this early stage of his career, and he handles the dry dialogue with aplomb. One of his best scenes comes early on, as he discusses his assignment in a beautifully understated way with "R" (Charles Carson), his superior. R never directly tells Ashenden his complete assignment, but when an exploding bomb is heard in the distance, R casually remarks "Was that a pistol going off?" which says everything Ashenden needs to know.

Madeleine Carroll had also starred in Hitchcock's better-known THE 39 STEPS (1935). She was one of a long line of glamorous cool blondes who appeared in Hitchcock's movies. Her sophisticated demeanor plays well opposite both the understated Gielgud and the more effusive Young.

SECRET AGENT is one of a pair of films Robert Young made in England which was released in 1936; the other was a musical comedy, IT'S LOVE AGAIN, which costarred British star Jessie Matthews. (I have a VHS copy of IT'S LOVE AGAIN on loan to me which I'm looking forward to seeing.) According to an article in Films of the Golden Age about Young's British movies, he fretted that MGM sending him to England might mean the end of his career. It actually worked out quite well, and when he returned to the United States he went on to a number of good films and a successful career which lasted for decades.

Lilli Palmer has a key role as an informant. Percy Marmont and Florence Kahn also appear in the movie.

A good restored print of SECRET AGENT does not appear to exist on Region 1 DVD. I took a gamble on a DVD from Diamond since it was only $3.95 at Amazon. The print was fuzzy, with a couple overly dark scenes and a soundtrack with mild static, but all in all it was quite watchable, with no jumps or other onscreen defects. Curiously, it would not play on one of our DVD players, but it played fine on a second player, as well as on our all-region DVD player.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Coming to DVD on November 9, 2010: BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE (1956), originally known in the UK as PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE, written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The film stars John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, Ian Hunter, Bernard Lee, Patrick Macnee, and Peter Finch.

...Dave Kehr takes a look at two 1935 Kay Francis-George Brent films directed by Frank Borzage, STRANDED and LIVING ON VELVET, in the New York Times. He indicates at his blog that the Warner Archive DVD-Rs appear to be unremastered prints.

...Kehr also recently reviewed the new DVD release of PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (1951), starring Ava Gardner and James Mason.

...50 Westerns From the 50s called my attention to the upcoming book ARIZONA'S LITTLE HOLLYWOOD by Joe McNeill, which covers films made on location in Sedona, Arizona. Movie locations are a particular interest of mine, and this book sounds great.

...Jacqueline blogged about EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954), an interesting film with an all-star cast, at Another Old Movie Blog.

...Starting next Monday, Martha Stewart is taking over eight hours of programming each weekday on the Hallmark Channel.

...Sad: this month the last major factory making traditional incandescent GE light bulbs closes. I've heard so many bad things about expensive (made in China) CFL bulbs that I think we'd better start stocking up on incandescents.

...This looks like an interesting reference: TELEVISION WESTERN PLAYERS OF THE FIFTIES by Everett Aaker. It's a 2007 book from McFarland.

...This video of what happened when a cruise ship was hit by high waves sure doesn't make me anxious to go on a cruise any time soon.

...Restaurant chains are getting into the food truck craze: coming soon are trucks from Fatburger, Subway, and Sizzler.

...President Obama saying "I've got a whole bunch of better ways to spend that money," rather than letting taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars, reminds me of a classic WEST WING moment, where Donna responded to a similar comment by Josh by refusing to return his change from lunch, saying that she had better ideas than he did on how to spend his money.

...New cookbook: AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE: MORE THAN 300 RECIPES FROM MY HOME TO YOURS. It's written by Dorie Greenspan, author of the excellent 2006 book BAKING: FROM MY HOME TO YOURS. AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE isn't due out until October, but Amazon already has it in stock.

...Java's Journey has a brief overview on the topic of classic movies adapted for radio. I've greatly enjoyed collecting a few hundred Lux Radio adaptations on CD over the past year. The "alternate castings" are often quite fascinating, and it's also a wonderful way to hear more work by favorite actors. The commercials and news bulletins are also a very interesting "time capsule." I squeeze in listening to some of them while walking or traveling, but I wish I had time to fit in even more.

...STRANGE BARGAIN (1949), reviewed at WHERE DANGER LIVES, sounds like a lot of fun. I've got the MURDER SHE WROTE DVD with the "sequel" episode in my Netflix queue so I can watch it after I catch up with the movie.

...Rupert returns to Classic Movies Digest with a review of FALLEN ANGEL (1945). I really enjoy this film, which stars Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and Alice Faye. I first saw it in 2006 and watched it again just a few months ago.

...Two more weeks till Destination D: Disneyland '55 at the Disneyland Hotel. The official schedule was just released for the sold-out seminar-style event. Presentations will include the 55th anniversary of the Mouseketeers, the 1964 New York World's Fair, long-gone attractions at Disneyland, and a concert of Disney theme park music with an appearance by composer Richard Sherman.

Have a great weekend!

In Remembrance

Coming to DVD: The Films of Rita Hayworth

THE FILMS OF RITA HAYWORTH, a long-awaited DVD set containing five films, will be released on November 2, 2010.

The films in the collection are COVER GIRL (1944), TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT (1945), GILDA (1946), SALOME (1953), and MISS SADIE THOMPSON (1953).

Extras include introductions by Martin Scorsese and others, and a commentary track by Richard Schickel on GILDA. (Schickel's commentary on THE MARK OF ZORRO was perhaps the worst I've ever heard, but he did a much better job sharing commentary duties with Jeff Young for ON THE WATERFRONT. It will be interesting to see how he does on GILDA.)

I'm unfamiliar with SALOME and MISS SADIE THOMPSON, other than happening to see a scene from SALOME on TV when I was a child which gave me nightmares. (I seemed to stumble across scary scenes from films like THE BLOB, I SAW WHAT YOU DID, and SALOME at neighbors' houses, not at home!) I can't say I have a desire to see the rest of SALOME, even though it stars Stewart Granger, one of my favorite actors.

COVER GIRL, TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT, and GILDA, on the other hand, are pure Hayworth gold and more than enough reason for fans to purchase the set. I was fortunate to see all three films in Los Angeles revival theaters in years past -- COVER GIRL and TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT on multiple occasions.

TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT, about actors refusing to close their show during the London Blitz, is a great favorite of mine. It has a moving and somewhat unusual story, a good score (the Oscar-nominated "Anywhere" is unforgettable), beautiful Technicolor, and an excellent supporting cast including Janet Blair, Lee Bowman, and Marc Platt. Platt, a dancer who also appeared in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954), has a terrific solo dancing to the radio. (Platt will be 97 in December.) A review at TCM correctly says TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT is "underrated"; I believe it was somewhat ahead of its time, including a somber and uncertain ending rather unusual for the '40s.

COVER GIRL and GILDA also represent some of Hayworth's best work. COVER GIRL has had a previous DVD release, which I don't own; the release of this new boxed DVD set may spur me to replace my VHS copy.

I'll be watching for reviews of the set this fall.

October Update: The release date has been pushed back to December 21, 2010.

Olivia de Havilland Awarded French Legion of Honor

Actress Olivia de Havilland was awarded the Legion of Honor by French President Nicolas Sarkozy today.

The actress, who is 94, looked wonderful in photos of the ceremony posted by NPR.

She has lived in France since the early '50s.

TV Westerns Producer David Dortort Dies at 93

50 Westerns From the 50s shared the news that David Dortort, the creator and producer of classic TV Westerns, has passed away at the age of 93.

Dortort is best known for creating and producing the long-running BONANZA, but I far preferred his grittier and more realistic desert Western THE HIGH CHAPARRAL, which debuted in 1967 and ran for four seasons. This series is long overdue for DVD.

The High Chaparral Homepage pays tribute to Dortort and THE HIGH CHAPARRAL: "Shooting on location in Arizona instead of on a Hollywood soundstage, and featuring a mixed ethnicity step-family with relationship challenges, were things simply not done in the Ward-and-June-Cleaver atmosphere of sixties television. Perhaps his biggest contribution was in breaking down conventional stereotypes in the portrayal of Indians, Latinos, and Anglos. His insistence on authenticity in language and roles resulted in early acting opportunities for many Latino and Indian actors who went on to full Hollywood careers."

Dortort also produced a superb 1979 miniseries, THE CHISHOLMS, based on a novel by Evan Hunter. THE CHISHOLMS starred Robert Preston, Rosemary Harris, and Ben Murphy. It became a very short-lived TV series, minus Preston; I still have a couple episodes on a Beta tape, but again, I'd love to have THE CHISHOLMS on DVD.

Prior to his work in television, Dortort's writing credits include THE LUSTY MEN (1952), starring Robert Mitchum and Susan Hayward. THE LUSTY MEN happens to be scheduled to air on Turner Classic Movies on September 28th.

He also wrote A CRY IN THE NIGHT (1956), with Natalie Wood, Edmond O'Brien, and Brian Donlevy, and REPRISAL! (1956) which is mentioned at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

British Director Clive Donner Dies at 84

London-born Clive Donner, whose directing credits include two of the finest TV-movies ever made, has died at the age of 84.

During what some call the "Golden Age of TV-Movies and Miniseries" in the early 1980s, Donner directed THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1982) and A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984).

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL starred Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen, while A CHRISTMAS CAROL starred George C. Scott, Susannah York, David Warner, Edward Woodward, Roger Rees, and more.

Both films are available on DVD and are very much worth seeking out.

Donner also directed Scott in OLIVER TWIST (1982).

Tonight's Movie: Blind Date (1934)

BLIND DATE is a most enjoyable Depression-era romance which finds Ann Sothern torn between two suitors.

Hardworking Kitty Taylor (Ann Sothern) supports her parents and two younger siblings. Kitty is engaged to ambitious mechanic Bill (Paul Kelly). After a spat with Bill, Kitty goes on a blind date where she meets and falls for wealthy Bob (Neil Hamilton); Bob is crazy about Kitty, but he makes it quite clear he doesn't have marriage on his mind. Kitty returns to Bill, who truly loves her, but she can't forget her feelings for Bob...

There are a couple nice twists at the end, as each man tries to help Kitty...I'm not convinced Kitty ultimately made the right choice, but at least there's a subtle hint that both men will end up happy in the romance department.

The acting in this film is top-notch. Sothern is excellent as the woman who wishes she could love the worthy man who wants to marry her, but finds herself unable to forget the wealthy cad who swept her off her feet.

The film is stolen by Paul Kelly, whose performance -- aided by a well-scripted part -- goes beyond the cliches one initially expects. He's very touching and proves to be the most admirable character in the film. I've always enjoyed Kelly, in films like I'LL WAIT FOR YOU (1941) and THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939). I was fascinated to learn that he originated the lead roles in the Broadway productions of COMMAND DECISION and THE COUNTRY GIRL; Clark Gable and Bing Crosby played the parts he'd created on film.

I confess I have a bit of trouble with Neil Hamilton as a romantic lead...I just can't help thinking of "Commissioner Gordon" from BATMAN when I hear his voice, and Commissioner Gordon and romance just don't seem to go together! I had the same trouble when I saw him last year in STRANGERS MAY KISS (1931). I suppose that's the peril of being very good at playing such a goofball role; of course, BATMAN was still decades away when Hamilton was playing romantic leads. Other than that distraction, Hamilton gives a good performance in BLIND DATE as a man who's not wholly admirable; he becomes more sympathetic, although I confess I wasn't completely convinced that he had changed by the end.

Joan Gale was effective as Kitty's kid sister, Flora, particularly in her final scenes. Gale's sister, June, married Oscar Levant. June and Joan were part of a family with two sets of performing identical twin sisters.

Jane Darwell and Spencer Charters play Sothern and Gale's parents, and Mickey Rooney is their kid brother.

This film was directed by Roy William Neill. It's a black and white Columbia film which runs 72 minutes.

BLIND DATE isn't available on VHS or DVD, but it has been shown on Turner Classic Movies.

Tonight's Movie: Code Two (1953)

CODE TWO (1953) is an entertaining MGM "B" movie about the training of LAPD motorcycle cops. It's no classic, but it's fun to watch and is likely to appeal to a variety of people, including Southern Californians, fans of vintage motorcycles, and those who enjoy watching TV Westerns and police shows.

This short 69-minute black and white film plays somewhat like an episode of DRAGNET, complete with the opening credits superimposed over a police badge. The documentary-style first half of the film is the best, as we follow three new recruits through their training at the Los Angeles Police Academy. The trainees supervised by Sgt. Culdane (Keenan Wynn) and Lt. Redmon (James Craig).

The rookies are played by Robert Horton (WAGON TRAIN), Ralph Meeker, and Jeff Richards (SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS). Horton plays the responsible family man, who's married to Sally Forrest; Meeker is the brash womanizer; and Richards is the shy hunk dating Forrest's gorgeous sister, played by Elaine Stewart. I especially enjoyed Richards and Stewart and wished they'd had a little more screen time.

The film shifts gears after the men make the motorcycle squad; tragedy strikes, leading the officers to work on solving a murder case involving modern-day cattle rustlers. I found this section of the film less interesting than the "nuts and bolts" of police training of the early '50s. There's a bit of "early CSI" info regarding tire treads and blood testing, but this part of the film has a more run-of-the-mill "catch the bad guys" storyline.

It's noteworthy that the actors did quite a bit of their own motorcycle riding, including, as far as I could tell, some of the more dangerous maneuvers. The riding sequences are done so smoothly that I didn't even think about the fact the actors themselves had been riding off road and even spilling their bikes until I read a review at Where Danger Lives. That aspect merits a closer look next time to see which scenes, if any, were done with stunt doubles.

Fans of classic TV Westerns will enjoy seeing not only Robert Horton, but Chuck Connors, who turns up as an L.A. County Sheriff near the end of the film.

The familiar character faces in the film include Fred Graham, Roy Engel, Robert Foulk, Tyler McVey, Frank Wilcox, and Almira Sessions.

It's interesting that IMDb notes the footage of Ann Doran as a police dispatcher is actually taken from her role in HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948). If that's accurate it's rather curious, as HE WALKED BY NIGHT was not an MGM movie.

CODE TWO was directed by Fred M. Wilcox.

CODE TWO is not available on VHS or DVD, but it can be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

January 2013 Update: CODE TWO is now available in a remastered print from the Warner Archive.

Tonight's Movie: Tall Man Riding (1955)

TALL MAN RIDING is a solid Randolph Scott Western with a good cast, although the ever-mounting body count becomes a bit tedious by the film's end.

Larry Madden (Randolph Scott) rides into town to settle an old score with Tucker Ordway (Robert Barratt), who whipped him and broke up his relationship with Ordway's daughter Corinna (Dorothy Malone) years before.

Larry's befriended by pretty saloon singer Reva (Peggie Castle), but she's about the only friendly person in town. A number of people complicate Larry's attempts to get even with Ordway, including saloon owner Cibo Pearlo (John Baragrey), the Peso Kid (Paul Richards), and Deputy Barclay (Mickey Simpson). The plot is much too complicated to explain concisely, but a whole lot of people are murdered, and more are shot by Larry in self-defense.

It's to Scott's credit that the film remains interesting although the plot peters out amidst one gun battle after another. The vengeful Larry's not a very nice person, but he's got a code of ethics which sets him above most of the other characters in the film.

Malone's Corrina, like Larry, spends most of her time being angry. Viewers don't get much of a sense of what they once saw in each other.

The most interesting performers in the film, aside from Scott, are Castle, who later starred in LAWMAN; John Dehner as Larry's attorney; and Lane Chandler as Ordway's loyal righthand man. Castle comes close to walking away with the film as the saloon girl who draws Larry's admiration.

The film has a nice outdoorsy feel, attractively filmed by Wilfrid Cline on Southern California locations. There's a blessed lack of back projections and some very fine shots, such as a low angle view of a wagon heading straight for the camera.

The movie was directed by Lesley Selander. The film runs 83 minutes.

TALL MAN RIDING is available in a beautiful print in a three-film DVD set along with Scott's COLT .45 (1950) and FORT WORTH (1951).

Update: There's more poster art on this film over at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

TCM Star of the Month: Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh is the Star of the Month this September on Turner Classic Movies.

TCM will air 13 Leigh films and 2 documentaries on Tuesday evenings this month.

On September 7th the 1990 documentary VIVIEN LEIGH: SCARLETT AND BEYOND will be shown, followed by three of Leigh's early British films: DARK JOURNEY (1937) with Conrad Veidt, STORM IN A TEACUP (1937) with Rex Harrison, and SIDEWALKS OF LONDON (1938) with Harrison and Charles Laughton.

I'm especially interested in the films on the 7th, as they are completely unknown to me.

September 14th the focus is on Leigh's two Oscar-winning roles, in GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951). The superb documentary THE MAKING OF A LEGEND: GONE WITH THE WIND (1988) will also be shown this evening.

On Tuesday, September 21st, Leigh's films with Laurence Olivier will be shown: FIRE OVER ENGLAND (1936) and THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941).

Leigh is perhaps shown at her all-time loveliest in THAT HAMILTON WOMAN. An interesting bit of trivia: THAT HAMILTON WOMAN was Winston Churchchill's favorite film, which he watched numerous times.

A pair of films Leigh made with Robert Taylor for MGM will also be shown on the 21st, A YANK AT OXFORD (1938) and WATERLOO BRIDGE (1940).

Leigh's month on TCM concluces with four films on the 28th: THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS. STONE (1961), ANNA KARENINA (1947), CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA (1945), and SHIP OF FOOLS (1965).

For an overview of other films airing on TCM in September, please visit TCM in September: Highlights.

Turner Classic Movies at the Hollywood Bowl

Last night we visited the Hollywood Bowl to attend a marvelous concert: TCM at the Symphony: Celebrating 20th Century Fox.

The evening was hosted by Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies. It was a treat to see him in person after watching him on TV for so many years.

We arrived well in advance of the concert and found excellent parking across the street. We had a picnic dinner near the Lasky-Demille Barn, home of the Hollywood Heritage Museum.

Near the entrance to the Bowl grounds, there's a museum which I'd like to stop in on a future visit:

As many times as I've been there, the view when one enters the Bowl is still breathtaking:

Over the years I've sat everywhere from boxed seats at the front -- for an Ethel Merman concert -- to the very back, and each section has its own rewards. The view from the back of the Bowl is spectacular.

The "HOLLYWOOD" sign can be seen in the distance; click to enlarge:

Here's a zoom photo of the sign:

Jumbotron screens along the sides were a nice addition since my last visit, providing close-ups of the host and musicians.

The concert began at dusk. The Star-Spangled Banner was followed by Alfred Newman's 20th Century Fox Fanfare (with the "CinemaScope Extension") and John Williams' STAR WARS. STAR WARS was accompanied by a beautifully edited collection of clips from Fox films.

After the STAR WARS montage, Robert Osborne entered to share some 20th Century Fox history and introduce the music:

Some of the music was accompanied by montages of clips from the relevant film; in other cases the film's dialogue soundtrack was played along with the live music.

I especially enjoyed hearing Alfred Newman's LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING...

...and a montage from LAURA accompanying the David Raksin theme music was a high point of the evening:

Excerpts from Newman's score for THE MARK OF ZORRO, one of my favorite movies, was another wonderful moment.

The second half of the concert, mostly featuring "modern" film scores, was not as satisfying for me. While I enjoyed hearing Alex North's CLEOPATRA and conductor David Newman's lively ICE AGE, music from EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Danny Elfman) and ALIEN (Jerry Goldsmith) didn't do much for me. I personally would have much preferred to hear a score by Bernard Herrmann, or even more Newman; I would have loved to hear Newman's CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE, for example.

The evening threatened to end on a low note for me, with film of a prolonged battle sequence from AVATAR, accompanied by endless blood-curdling screams which distracted from James Horner's music.

All was forgiven, however, when Mr. Osborne came on stage and announced an encore, saying that an evening celebrating 20th Century Fox couldn't end without paying tribute to THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Given this film's profound impact on me, beginning from a very early age, I found it very moving to watch the opening film clips of Austria accompanied by a live orchestra.

It was especially thrilling to hear the live orchestra music building to a climax as the camera zoomed in on the famous shot of Julie Andrews singing "The hills are alive with the sound of music." The synchronization of the recorded soundtrack and live music was impressive.

The opening sequence from THE SOUND OF MUSIC was followed by the concert version of "So Long, Farewell" from near the end of the movie...a perfect way to end the evening.

Setting aside my dissatisfaction with some of the music selections, all in all it was a memorable evening from start to finish. If TCM sponsors future evenings at the Bowl, I'd love to attend.