Tonight's Movie: Heat Lightning (1934) at the Noir City Film Festival

The four-film "Proto-Noir" marathon on closing night of the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival started off with THE NINTH GUEST (1934), followed by LET US LIVE (1939).

The third film, HEAT LIGHTNING (1934), was the shortest movie of the evening, running a mere 63 minutes. It was also my favorite, a title which I've wanted to see for some time, and it didn't disappoint.

Ann Dvorak biographer Christina Rice joined Alan Rode to introduce the movie. They provided some interesting background, including the information that the movie was shot in the High Desert area of Victorville, California. Incidentally, I was glad to finally have the chance to meet Christina after the movie!

In HEAT LIGHTNING Dvorak and Aline MacMahon play Myra and Olga, sisters running a gas station and lunchroom at a lonely desert outpost. Olga (MacMahon) is content to work hard and live a quiet life, but the younger Myra (Dvorak) dreams of bright lights and the big city, or at least sneaking off to a dance with a disreputable boy.

A variety of interesting travelers arrive at the station in the course of a single day, including a couple of divorcees (Glenda Farrell and Ruth Donnelly) on their way home from Reno with a chauffeur (Frank McHugh)...and a pair of men (Preston Foster and Lyle Talbot) on the lam after a robbery and ensuing killing.

This being a movie, it just so happens that George (Foster) was Olga's old flame back in Oklahoma...but she's older and wiser now. Maybe.

The Brown Holmes-Warren Duff screenplay was based on a play by George Abbott and Leon Abrams, yet thanks in part to the very effective location shooting, the movie feels much less stagebound than the later but very similar THE PETRIFIED FOREST (1936).

THE PETRIFIED FOREST, which was also based on a play, has much in common with HEAT LIGHTNING in terms of both location and story, but I thought that HEAT LIGHTNING had the more authentic feel of the two films. This was a terrific little movie.

In THE PETRIFIED FOREST one never really forgets that Bette Davis and Leslie Howard are actors in a soundstage, whereas HEAT LIGHTNING actually filmed in the desert. I also found MacMahon and Dvorak's performances very "real" contrasted with THE PETRIFIED FOREST, even with familiar favorites like Farrell and Donnelly stopping in to offer comic relief.

I was particularly moved by the scene where Myra comes home from a dance "worse for the wear," with it implied between the lines what had happened to her at some point during the evening. MacMahon as Olga, a capable mechanic, is likewise outstanding as a woman who is briefly reminded what it's like to be treated as a woman, for both good and ill.

Foster and Talbot are appropriately slimy as the crooks on the run; Foster has a casual line about the man he'd killed having been fated to die that day which caused me to gasp. A similar gasp was elicited by the way he was dealt his own ultimate fate.

The supporting cast also includes Jane Darwell, Edgar Kennedy, Theodore Newton, Willard Robertson, and Cris-Pin Martin.

HEAT LIGHTNING was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and filmed by Sid Hickox.

It's available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

Next up: The last film of the festival, William Wellman's bizarre pre-Code SAFE IN HELL (1931).

Book Review: In the Company of Legends

The brand-new book IN THE COMPANY OF LEGENDS, by Joan Kramer and David Heeley, chronicles the creation of several highly regarded documentaries on icons of classic film.

IN THE COMPANY OF LEGENDS was just released last week, on April 16th. Classic film fans may have seen Kramer and Heeley discussing the book with Robert Osborne while recently cohosting an evening of their documentaries on Turner Classic Movies.

The documentaries shown and discussed on TCM, which are discussed at length in the book, were THE SPENCER TRACY LEGACY: A TRIBUTE BY KATHARINE HEPBURN (1986), JAMES STEWART: A WONDERFUL LIFE (1987), BACALL ON BOGART (1988), FONDA ON FONDA (1992), and KATHARINE HEPBURN: ALL ABOUT ME (1993).

The team started out with a pair of programs on Fred Astaire in 1980, PUTTIN' ON HIS TOP HAT and CHANGE PARTNERS AND DANCE. Their tenacity in producing the documentaries, including finally persuading Astaire to allow clips from his RKO films to be used, gave them the credibility to make several more documentaries over the course of the next quarter-century, ending with THE ADVENTURES OF ERROL FLYNN in 2005.

The book chronicles Kramer and Heeley's memories of interacting with a variety of interesting stars while filming the specials. The book is presented in a very readable and fast-paced style, going back and forth between the authors as they, in essence, "talk" to the reader, sharing stories about working with legends.

Having very recently seen Stephen Bogart interviewed, in which he joked about his mother's "forthrightness," I especially enjoyed the chapter on working with the prickly and demanding Lauren Bacall while making BACALL ON BOGART. She could be very difficult, but producer Heeley told her flat-out he didn't appreciate the way she spoke to him, which seemed to serve as a wake-up call for her; she apologized and she and the producers then established a cordial relationship.

In fact, it was rather interesting that when Katharine Hepburn was similarly confronted with a demand which was a bridge too far, she owned up to it and things moved on productively. It almost seems as though a couple of the stars Kramer and Heeley worked with needed to be reminded of how they were affecting others, but then they did have the ability to "own" their behavior and seemed to respect being politely called on it.

My favorite section of the book was on the making of the wonderful documentary on Jimmy Stewart. It's filled with great anecdotes, including the helpful intervention of Stewart's wife Gloria on more than one occasion; Johnny Carson attempting to replace himself as the host with Cary Grant (who sadly died while Carson was in the midst of trying to arrange it); and a visit to the White House to interview the Reagans.

Best of all is the story about how Stewart transformed from a frail, elderly man, who caused concern he might not be able to handle a lengthy interview, to James Stewart, Movie Star, when it came time to film. Put him anywhere near a camera and that man was a pro!

IN THE COMPANY OF LEGENDS is an engaging book filled with fun anecdotes and insights about some of our greatest classic stars during their twilight years. (I haven't even mentioned their stories of working with Olivia de Havilland on the Flynn documentary or Audrey Hepburn when she narrated THE FRED ASTAIRE SONGBOOK...) It presents a unique slice of film history which I'm glad has been preserved. I enjoyed the book very much, and I believe other classic film fans will enjoy it as well. A recommended read.

The book is a hardcover which runs just over 400 pages, including the index. It is amply illustrated with photographs printed directly on the pages.

For more information regarding IN THE COMPANY OF LEGENDS, please visit the book's Facebook page.

Thanks to Beaufort Books and Jonas Public Relations for providing an advance review copy of this book.

Quick Preview of TCM in July

The tentative July schedule has recently been posted at Turner Classic Movies. Thanks so much to Ivan for the tip!

The schedule disappeared as soon as I printed it, so keep checking this page for it to return.

Shirley Temple is the July Star of the Month. 19 Temple films will be shown spread over Monday evenings. This is a particularly nice surprise as so many of Temple's films were for 20th Century-Fox, and those movies are more expensive for TCM to license. That said, many of the titles will focus on her later work for studios like MGM and RKO.

Even better news is that the Friday film noir marathons being featured in June will continue into July as part of what TCM is calling the "Summer of Darkness." The Film Noir Foundation's Eddie Muller will host the Friday Night Spotlight in both June and July! The lineups are absolutely fantastic, and the films Eddie will host in prime time in July include top-drawer favorites such as THE NARROW MARGIN (1952) and CRISS CROSS (1949).

But wait, there's more! July will also feature the third evening in the Treasures From the Disney Vault franchise which began last December and continued last March. The Disney movies scheduled for July 2nd will include JOHNNY TREMAIN (1957), THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE (1956), RASCAL (1969), and the Tru-Life Adventure THE LIVING DESERT (1953). The presence of the fairly rarely seen THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE, in particular, gives me hope that eventually TCM might show other rare Disney films such as THE SWORD AND THE ROSE (1953) or ROB ROY: THE HIGHLAND ROGUE (1953) both starring Richard Todd and Glynis Johns.

The Sunday evening summer franchise Essentials Jr. morphs into "Movie Camp" this summer, with new hosts William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. I'm quite intrigued by their relatively sophisticated choices, which seem aimed at teenagers more than children; there's an evening of "post-Bond Connery" with THE WIND AND THE LION (1975) -- a great choice -- and THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1979); an entire Sunday evening of shorts including STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN (1967) and STAR IN THE NIGHT (1945); a Fritz Lang double bill of METROPOLIS (1926) and FURY (1936); and a Korda double bill of THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) and THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941).

July tributes will include Charles Laughton, Janet Leigh, Joseph Losey, Barbara Stanwyck, John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Spencer Tracy, William Powell, and Claudette Colbert, while July themes will include Japan, witches, classic '50s sci-fi, ghosts, and apes!

There's also a wonderful tribute to the UCLA Archive on July 15th, including HER SISTER'S SECRET (1946), and another tribute to the 100th Anniversary of Technicolor.

Newer movies continue to turn up in the schedule, especially on Saturday nights, where titles such as BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1980) and DIRTY MARY, CRAZY LARRY (1974) are listed. A Tuesday evening of Cajun documentaries by Les Blank had me scratching my head, with titles such as YUM, YUM, YUM! A TASTE OF CAJUN AND CREOLE COOKING (1990) and GARLIC IS AS GOOD AS TEN MOTHERS (1980); I wondered for a second if the Cooking Channel's schedule had crossed with TCM's!

I'll have a more detailed look at the July schedule somewhere around June 30th. In the meantime, Anthony Quinn continues as the April Star of the Month, with Sterling Hayden ahead as Star of the Month for May and a "Pin-Up Girls/Sex Symbols" Star of the Month theme for June.

July 2015 Update: For more on TCM this month, please visit TCM in July: Highlights and TCM in July: Summer of Darkness.

Tonight's Movie: Let Us Live (1939) at the Noir City Film Festival

The second film in the closing night "Proto-Noir" marathon at the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival was LET US LIVE (1939).

LET US LIVE stars Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Sullivan, directed by John Brahm. Brahm would go on to direct the "gothic noir" HANGOVER SQUARE (1945) and the psychological film noir THE LOCKET (1946).

In LET US LIVE, a waking nightmare unspools over the course of 68 minutes as a hard-working cabbie (Fonda) and his friend (Alan Baxter) are falsely accused and convicted of murder. Only the devotion of the cabbie's fiancee (O'Sullivan) and the cop (Ralph Bellamy) she convinces to help her might save the men from being railroaded straight to the electric chair.

The increasingly despairing jailhouse sequences both reflect back on the great gangster films of the early '30s and anticipate film noir, where the "wrong man" would also be a familiar theme.

Fonda is quite shattering, as his personality gradually changes under the weight of being disappointed by "the system" at every turn. He has a speech which seems to look forward just a bit to his famous closing speech in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940).

It's a nice part for O'Sullivan, as a woman who refuses to give up and is ultimately willing to risk her life to prove her husband-to-be is innocent. Bellamy is also good as a cop who initially doesn't seem to care overly much about the case but gradually becomes unnerved when he realizes he's been a cog in a rigged system.

One of the aspects of the movie which bothered me was the D.A. (Stanley Ridges) saying his job was simply to get a conviction. I wish the movie had made clear that the D.A. was wrong throughout the film in part because a D.A.'s job is actually to seek justice, not convictions (see 1947's BOOMERANG for an illustration of same). The character was thus not only wrong in ignoring additional evidence, he flat-out wasn't doing his job.

The supporting cast includes Henry Kolker, George Lynn, and Philip Trent. Familiar "faces" scattered throughout the film include Charles Lane (who received applause from the Noir City audience when he turned up as a taxicab salesman), Ann Doran, Forrester Harvey, Byron Foulger, Pat O'Malley, and Minerva Urecal.

The cinematography was by Lucien Ballard, who also filmed another movie seen in the festival just a few days ago, BERLIN EXPRESS (1948).

LET US LIVE is available on DVD from Sony Choice.

Next up from the Noir City marathon: My favorite film of the night, HEAT LIGHTNING (1934).

Tonight's Movie: The Ninth Guest (1934) at the Noir City Film Festival

The 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival closed with the proverbial bang Sunday evening, as attendees enjoyed a four-film "Proto-Noir" marathon.

The marathon consisted of films from the 1930s which ranged between 63 and 73 minutes in length: THE NINTH GUEST (1934), LET US LIVE (1939), HEAT LIGHTNING (1934), and SAFE IN HELL (1931). Three of the films were pre-Codes, and all of the movies had aspects which stylistically anticipate the darkness of what we now think of as "film noir" of the '40s and '50s.

The evening kicked off with a fun 65-minute mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, THE NINTH GUEST (1934). THE NINTH GUEST was directed by Roy William Neill, best known for the Sherlock Holmes movie series with Basil Rathbone. Neill's last movie was the very affecting film noir BLACK ANGEL (1946), which starred Dan Duryea.

THE NINTH GUEST was based on a novel by Gwen Bristow (JUBILEE TRAIL) and her husband Bruce Manning.

Eight wealthy people are invited to a penthouse party by an anonymous host. When they are all gathered, a voice begins speaking to them from the radio, telling them that they will die one by one, unless they can outwit the "ninth guest," death.

The group discover the doors are locked, the patio gate is rigged to electrocute, and the servants who admitted them have disappeared...and sure enough, one by one people start to die.

This title had initially interested me the least of the evening's films, but it proved to be a fast-paced and quite enjoyable bit of entertainment. I always find Genevieve Tobin (SNOWED UNDER) fun to watch, and here she's one of the only characters the audience can root for; admittedly, though, she doesn't have much to do in this one but look frightened!

The other guests are played by Donald Cook, Samuel S. Hinds, Nella Walker, Edward Ellis, Hardie Albright, Edwin Maxwell, and Helen Flint.

The setting is a very stylish Art Deco apartment, with an unforgettable wall clock which must be seen to be believed. The black and white cinematography was by Benjamin Kline.

THE NINTH GUEST is available at this writing on YouTube, but it looks nothing like the beautiful 35mm film screened last night at the Egyptian Theatre. Let's hope for a DVD release of this Columbia film, a memorable movie experience which deserves a wider audience.

Up for review next: Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Sullivan in LET US LIVE (1939).

Tonight's Movie: Ride the Man Down (1952)

RIDE THE MAN DOWN is an enjoyable, if overly complicated, Western from Republic Pictures with a great cast.

I wrote a very similar opening line in my review of Republic's BRIMSTONE (1949) a few months ago, and it held true again on this occasion.

It's hard not to like a movie which starts with a lovely orchestration of "Shenandoah" and lists a starring cast on the opening title card consisting of Rod Cameron, Brian Donlevy, Forrest Tucker, Ella Raines, Chill Wills, and Barbara Britton! Add to that list Jim Davis, J. Carrol Naish, Paul Fix, Jack La Rue, and Douglas Kennedy, and you've got yourself quite a cast indeed.

The movie concerns a range war, with Cameron's ranch foreman eventually finding himself battling many of the other cast members, including Donlevy, Tucker, and Davis, not to mention his sweetheart, played by Britton, and her father (Taylor Holmes).

Raines, meanwhile, plays a feisty young woman who rolls her own cigarettes. She gradually finds herself losing respect for her fiance, Tucker, and taking a fresh look at her childhood friend Cameron, who is trying to hold together the ranch she's inherited.

There's so much plot in this 90-minute movie that it probably would have been better off either streamlining the story with fewer characters or, conversely, adding half an hour to give the storyline greater depth.

Just as with BRIMSTONE, another Western of the same length also directed by Joseph Kane, I'll admit there were moments I really wasn't quite sure exactly what was going on, but I wasn't overly concerned, as I simply enjoyed spending time on the range with Cameron and this great cast.

The Mary McCall Jr. screenplay was based on a story by Luke Short, whose works have inspired such excellent Westerns as RAMROD (1947), BLOOD ON THE MOON (1948), CORONER CREEK (1948), and AMBUSH (1950). IMDb quotes screenwriter McCall as saying "From the outset this was as happy a spell of work as occurs but rarely in a screenwriter's life."

The Trucolor cinematography was by Jack Marta, with the better-than-average musical score by Ned Freeman.

Big thanks to John Knight for making it possible for me to see this one. I certainly wish Olive Films or another company would start releasing some of these interesting Republic Pictures Westerns on DVD.

Rod Cameron Westerns previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: PANHANDLE (1948), RIVER LADY (1948), BRIMSTONE (1949), STAMPEDE (1949), SHORT GRASS (1950), WAGONS WEST (1952), and FORT OSAGE (1952).

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...the Post-Festival Edition!

...Around the Blogosphere This Week returns today after over a month off, during which I was busy attending and covering three different area film festivals. Roughly 40 posts have gone up since the TCM Classic Film Festival ended three weeks ago, so occasional readers are encouraged to keep clicking "Older" at the bottom of each page to scroll back for additional recent content.

...All links to my coverage of the 2015 UCLA Festival of Preservation can be found at the end of this post, while TCM Classic Film Festival posts are gathered here and all Noir City Film Festival coverage is here. There are still more TCMFF and Noir City posts to come!

...Speaking of film festivals, check out the schedule for the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival to be hosted by Alan K. Rode next month in Palm Springs. I'm hoping to attend this festival for the first time and should be able to make a decision in the next few days.

...Thanks to Christy Putnam for including my blog in her list of "Top Articles and Blog Posts" on the 2015 TCM Festival at the Examiner.

...My most recent column at ClassicFlix, which first appeared while I was at the TCM Festival, is on the great Robert Ryan.

...Before heading to California for the TCM Fest, Raquel covered Cinefest in Syracuse, New York. Here's Part 1 and Part 2. For even more on Cinefest, here's a report by Leonard Maltin.

...The Great Villain Blogathon, cohosted by Speakeasy, Shadows & Satin, and Silver Screenings, has just come to an end. There was a fantastic lineup of participants, so be sure to check out some of the links! I especially enjoyed Kristina's post on Dan Duryea in WINCHESTER '73 (1950), because she captures so well what makes his character special in a wonderful film.

...Although my film festival schedule meant I couldn't participate in the Villains blogathon, I plan to participate in the Beach Party Blogathon being hosted by Speakeasy and Silver Screenings in June!

...Julie Andrews will be writing a second memoir, a sequel to her 2008 book HOME: A MEMOIR OF MY EARLY YEARS. (Via Raquel.)

...Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise as Ma and Pa Ingalls? It was at one point seriously suggested!

...Speaking of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Home & Museum at Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri, which I have visited twice, has broken ground on a new museum building.

...Frame By Frame has information from Alan K. Rode on the future of TOO LATE FOR TEARS (1949) on DVD.

...I recently learned of this 2006 book and want to check it out: CARTOON MODERN: STYLE AND DESIGN IN 1950S ANIMATION by Amid Amidi.

...Notable Passings: Actor Gregory Walcott, who appeared in countless Westerns and war movies, as well as the infamous PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959), has died at 87. Toby has a remembrance at 50 Westerns From the 50s. I particularly enjoyed Walcott as Bat Masterson in BADMAN'S COUNTRY (1958); he also played Cole Younger in the "Full House" episode of TV's MAVERICK...Jonathan Crombie, who played Gilbert in TV's ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, died at the age of 48...HAZEL actress Lynn Borden has passed on at 77...Dean Hess, whose autobiography inspired the Rock Hudson film BATTLE HYMN (1957), died at 97...Richard Dysart of the TV series L.A. LAW has passed on at 86.

...Kendra Bean writes about "The Mystery of Suzanne Farrington," Vivien Leigh's daughter, at Viv and Larry. Farrington recently passed away at 81.

...Attention Southern Californians: The Crest Theatre in Westwood, which reopened in 2013, has been showing classic films on a regular basis of late, most recently a Hitchcock series, with REAR WINDOW (1954) coming on April 29th.

...More for Southern Californians: The Noir City Fest may be drawing to a close, but there's more film noir ahead at the Egyptian Theatre, which is screening GILDA (1946) Saturday, April 25th. The 3:15 screening will be accompanied by a 2:00 p.m. talk by Kimberly Truhler, an expert on movie fashions who blogs at GlamAmor.

...I've collected quite a backlog of interesting links to share so be sure to check back next week for a new roundup!

Have a great week!

Book Review: The Sound of Music FAQ

As a longtime dedicated fan of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965), it takes more than a bit for a new book on the subject to impress me.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC FAQ by Barry Monush did just that. It truly is, as the subtitle says, "All that's left to know about Maria, the Von Trapps, and our favorite things."

I previously reviewed Monush's 2010 book on WEST SIDE STORY (1961), and I liked this one, timed to coincide with THE SOUND OF MUSIC's 50th anniversary, even better.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC FAQ, like THE SOUND OF MUSIC FAMILY SCRAPBOOK before it, is a "must own" for SOUND OF MUSIC fans. It exhaustively details an amazing variety of SOUND OF MUSIC factoids, while at the same time it's written in an engaging fashion so that it's not simply a "book of lists."

One of the most interesting chapters, for instance, breaks down how Maria's autobiography influenced the musical, and another chapter chronicles the history of the movies DIE TRAPP-FAMILIE (1956) and DIE TRAPP-FAMILIE IN AMERIKA (1958), West German productions I've always wanted to see.

Want to know which extras appear on which DVD editions? It's all laid out in the chapter "Bringing Home THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Video, Laserdisc, DVD, and Blu-ray." For someone such as myself who owns more editions of the movie than I probably want to admit (grin), it's been a most helpful chapter as I decide whether to buy the movie's 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition on Blu-ray.

Another chapter chronicles the history of the movie soundtrack, including a listing of the original LP tracks and the album's chart history; the book goes on to describe theatrical cast albums. An additional 45 pages or so is devoted to a history of recordings of the show's music by varied artists.

"THE SOUND OF MUSIC on Television" chronicles the movie's broadcast history, including NBC's memorably awful hacking of half an hour out of the movie, resulting in a jumpy print that played more like "Highlights from THE SOUND OF MUSIC." As I remember all too well, NBC even edited verses and instrumental passages out of the middle of musical numbers! Air dates, ratings, and a description of the competition airing on other networks during the original broadcast evenings are included as well.

One of my favorite chapters, "THE SOUND on the Page," chronicles the history of books on the topic, ranging from Maria Von Trapp's own works to William Anderon's great THE WORLD OF THE TRAPP FAMILY to memoirs by everyone from Saul Chaplin to Charmian Carr to Anna Lee and more. Monush gives the reader an idea of how much of each book is devoted to the film, ranging from entire books to just a few pages, and gives a flavor of what the author had to say.

Additional chapter topics include changes from play to film, the movie's location schedule, roadshow exhibition schedule, and awards, what the cast has done since making the film, and a look at some additional productions, including the recent live TV version of the play starring Carrie Underwood. In a word, the book is exhaustive, and a real treasure for those who love the film, providing both interesting reading and a "go to" reference book which will be useful for years to come.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC FAQ is a heavy softcover book which runs 488 pages, including index and bibliography. It's illustrated with well-chosen, often unique photos printed directly on the page; the photos include an interesting variety of ads, album covers, and theatrical programs as well as production and publicity stills from the movie.

This book is most highly recommended for fans of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Thanks to Hal Leonard Corporation for providing a review copy of this book.

Tonight's Movie: All At Sea (1957) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

ALL AT SEA (1957), also known in the UK as BARNACLE BILL, is an Alec Guinness comedy recently released by the Warner Archive.

Guinness plays Captain William Horatio Ambrose, who comes from a legendary British seafaring family but is so seasick that a mere photograph of water can make him ill.

Ambrose retires from the navy and purchases a ramshackle seaside amusement pier which he proceeds to renovate, despite opposition from the local town council, who plan to condemn the pier. Ambrose finds an unexpected ally in a former enemy (Irene Browne) and gradually brings the pier back to life, while also coming up with a clever plan to prevent it from being demolished.

This "Ealing comedy" has its mildly funny moments but was not really my cuppa tea, so to speak. Some of the broader humor I found unpleasant, and more importantly, the filmmakers use every possible opportunity to make the viewing audience feel as seasick as Captain Ambrose! Due to this I actually ended up fast-forwarding through the opening credits, filmed with the camera bobbing along with waves at sea.

Ambrose's new home in the "crazy cottage" on the pier only accentuates the audience's "seasick" feelings. The constant "humor" about feeling green brought back unpleasant long-ago memories of suffering severe morning sickness rather than being amusing.

Guinness does a nice deadpan job -- I enjoyed the fact that he's thoroughly "Navy" despite his disability, and the way he addressed his second-in-command on the pier as "Number 1" -- and there are a few moments of dry humor here and there which I liked. That said, despite my great love for Britain and many British films, I simply wasn't the right audience for this one. Perhaps my constitution is too close to that of Captain Ambrose to be able to really appreciate it!

The movie was directed by Charles Frend, with story and screenplay by T.E.B. Clarke.

Those not inclined to feeling queasy who like the film's comedy style will really enjoy this sharp-looking widescreen DVD from the Warner Archive. A trailer is included on the DVD.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the WBShop.

Tonight's Movie: Bad Men of Tombstone (1949) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE is a solid Allied Artists Western produced by Maurice and Frank King, whose next film would be the noir classic GUN CRAZY (1950). BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE was just released on DVD by the Warner Archive.

Barry Sullivan plays Tom Horn, who's thrown into jail after a failed robbery attempt. He falls in with another outlaw, William Morgan (Broderick Crawford), and Morgan's gang (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Fortunato Bonanova, and John Kellogg). The gang has great success picking up lots of ill-gotten loot, and Tom also spends time romancing and then marrying Julie (Marjorie Reynolds).

Eventually greed splits up the gang, leading to a final showdown between Horn and Morgan.

BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE is a pretty good Western, although the inherent problem with Westerns focusing on outlaws is that one knows at the outset that they never end well. Especially given the constraints of the Production Code, the viewer can be pretty sure that an antihero lead isn't going to survive to the end credits, which always casts a shadow over such films.

That issue aside, Sullivan is very good indeed as Horn, who's a pretty smart guy, if not always very nice. His romance with Julie, who comes from a similar hardscrabble background, is affecting. It's interesting to note that although the film has plenty of action, most of the official stills taken to publicize the film emphasize the romantic storyline.

Sullivan has some exciting moments of gunplay, including casually blowing three holes in a plate tossed in the sky and later shooting a hotel room door full of holes when someone tries to sneak in. It's a very different role from his clean-cut father in JEOPARDY (1953), seen just last weekend, yet Sullivan is equally appealing in both parts.

Reynolds is good and surprisingly tough at times, although I didn't think she was always filmed to best effect in this movie by cinematographer Russell Harlan; in some scenes she looks a bit puffy and tired beyond her 31 years. Perhaps, though, that fit her character, who has had a rough life.

Character favorite Louis Jean Heydt has a small but notable role as a homesteader whose plans to go West with his wife (Virginia Carroll) cause Julie to yearn for a more peaceful existence, even if it means doing without riches. Carroll, incidentally, was married to actor Ralph Byrd (DICK TRACY, STAGE STRUCK).

BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE runs 75 minutes. It was directed by Kurt Neumann. The narrator was Gerald Mohr.

The screenplay by Philip Yordan and Arthur Strawn was based on the novel LAST OF THE BADMEN by Jay Monaghan. Screenwriter Yordan, in particular, has an impressive filmography including everything from the delightful comedy JOHNNY DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1944) to noir and Western classics like THE CHASE (1946), REIGN OF TERROR (1949), JOHNNY GUITAR (1954), and many more.

The Warner Archive DVD is a good print, although a number of nighttime scenes seem to have inherently been fairly dark as night scenes go. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.

Happy Birthday, Barbara Hale!

The lovely and engaging Barbara Hale turns 93 today.

Hale, best known for her role as Della Street in TV's PERRY MASON series, was born in Illinois on April 18, 1922.

Barbara Hale married Bill Williams in 1946, a happy marriage which lasted until his passing in 1992. They're seen here with Richard Loo in THE CLAY PIGEON (1949):

Hale and Williams had three children, including actor William Katt -- Katt being Williams' real last name -- the star of TV's THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO (1981). Katt also starred with his mother in the long-running series of PERRY MASON TV-movies, playing Paul Drake Jr., the son of the character played by William Hopper in the original TV series.

Hale starred in many enjoyable films, including numerous Westerns. She was both lovely and a fine actress, as demonstrated by her performance as the poor, careworn mother opposite Arthur Kennedy and Bobby Driscoll in THE WINDOW (1949).

For an additional 2015 birthday tribute to Barbara Hale, please visit Vienna's Classic Hollywood. And for good measure, here's a 2010 tribute by Caftan Woman.

Barbara Hale films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: HIGHER AND HIGHER (1943), GOVERNMENT GIRL (1943), THE FALCON OUT WEST (1944), THE FALCON IN HOLLYWOOD (1944), WEST OF THE PECOS (1945), THE CLAY PIGEON (1949) (also here), THE WINDOW (1949), AND BABY MAKES THREE (1949), LORNA DOONE (1951), THE LONE HAND (1953), SEMINOLE (1953) (also here), THE HOUSTON STORY (1956), THE OKLAHOMAN (1957), and AIRPORT (1970) (also here).

Additional notable Hale films include THE BOY WITH GREEN HAIR (1948), JOLSON SINGS AGAIN (1949), THE JACKPOT (1950), THE FIRST TIME (1952), A LION IS IN THE STREETS (1953), LAST OF THE COMANCHES (1953), and 7TH CAVALRY (1956).

Happiest birthday wishes to a favorite actress who has provided so many wonderful hours of entertainment!

January 27, 2017 Update: Notable Passings: Barbara Hale and Mike Connors.

2023 Update: Here's a review of A LION IS IN THE STREETS (1953).