Today at Disney's California Adventure: Mother's Day

I enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day today! After church my oldest daughter and I went to California Adventure to spend a few hours walking around checking out the ongoing construction and enjoying the sunshine.

When we arrived at the park there were flowers handed out to the moms visiting today:

The Carthay Circle Theater near the entrance is rising:

Sunshine Plaza is now part of Yesterland!

We had just walked in the Off the Page store when I heard a male voice calling my name. I suddenly realized my nephew, who lives up north in Santa Barbara, was standing there! He was there with his wife, his sister, and his mom, my sister-in-law.

My niece, who's in a Ph.D. program at ASU, had flown in from Phoenix for Mother's Day weekend, and they'd made the drive down to the park this morning. It was great to have the unexpected chance to catch up a little.

We'll have two family members at college in Arizona next fall as our oldest son is going to be a Lumberjack at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

My sister-in-law and I both love Disney memorabilia and couldn't resist the ceramic version of a classic Disneyland paper cup of years past:

I plan to use it as a pencil holder on my desk.

What a lovely day on Paradise Pier!

From what we can see, the Little Mermaid building will be beautiful. I love that they saved the King Triton statue from Disneyland, which was removed when Pixie Hollow was built, and "repurposed" it for the Little Mermaid building.

The Little Mermaid ride and the remodeled Star Tours ride across the way at Disneyland open Memorial Day weekend, with Goofy's Sky School (formerly Mulholland Madness) opening just in time for the long Independence Day weekend.

The promise of things to come, seen as we left the Mickey and Friends parking structure:

I thought the other kids were staying home chiefly to study, including for this week's Advanced Placement test, but when we walked in the door at 5:00 the house was cleaned, there was a beautiful dinner on the table -- with two kinds of dessert! -- and the stereo was playing my favorite Sinatra, Cole, and Martin albums. My wonderful husband had done all the shopping, including buying everything needed for the kids to cook dinner and dessert. I'm a lucky mom and wife indeed.

Hope all my readers have enjoyed a wonderful day as well!

Tonight's Movie: Run for the Sun (1956)

Like countless American students, I was first introduced to Richard Connell's creepy story THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME in a high school literature class. Shortly after reading the story, I got up in the middle of the night to catch the memorable 1932 Joel McCrea film. (Needless to say, this was not only before the days of cable TV, it was a couple years before I bought my first VCR!)

When I learned that favorite actors Richard Widmark and Jane Greer had starred in a remake, I had to see it, and fortunately it's available in a very nice widescreen print on Netflix Watch Instantly.

The film is a loose spin on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, updated to post-WWII Mexico. As the story opens, journalist Katie Connors (Greer) arrives in a small town in Mexico looking for Mike Latimer (Widmark), a writer of great talent who mysteriously stopped writing. It turns out Mike has suffered writer's block since he was dumped by his wife, and he drinks far too much. Despite Mike's troubles, he and Katie hit it off, and she decides to drop the story.

When Mike offers to fly Katie to the Mexico City airport in his small plane, compass trouble results in a crash landing in the jungle, where they are rescued by a couple very strange fellows (Trevor Howard and Peter van Eyck).

Turns out the men are Nazis, and they have no intention of letting Mike and Katie leave alive, especially once it's clear Mike knows who they are. Mike and Katie's only hope is getting to the Nazis' plane. While attempting to get to the plane, Mike and Katie spend a couple of days being chased all over the jungle by the men and their vicious pack of dogs...will Mike and Katie make it out alive?

RUN FOR THE SUN isn't a classic, but it's a well-made film distinguished by the lead actors and extremely good color photography by Joseph LaShelle. (It was filmed in Technicolor and "SuperScope 235.") Widmark and Greer are on screen together for most of the film's 99-minute running time, which is reason enough to watch the movie in my book; they make a good team.

The original MOST DANGEROUS GAME storyline only comes into play during the final section of the movie, and in this telling it's not nearly as chilling. Mike and Katie aren't being hunted for hunting's sake, but for a more practical reason, to stop them from leaving.

The film also isn't as disturbing as the 1932 version; a couple years ago I watched it again when my son read the story, and I was struck by just how very "pre-Code" it was; Zaroff's trophy room could give the unsuspecting viewer nightmares! (I suspect I may have seen an edited version on KTTV Ch. 11 in the late '70s; the films were usually sliced to ribbons for commercials anyway.) In RUN FOR THE SUN Mike and Katie have a grueling experience in the last third of the film, but it's simply an exciting, suspenseful adventure film, not really especially violent or scary.

This film was directed by Roy Boulting. An interesting bit of trivia is that the film's producers included actress Jane Russell and her husband Bob Waterfield.

In addition to Netflix, RUN FOR THE SUN is available on a fairly inexpensive Region 2 DVD. It does not appear to have had a DVD or VHS release in the U.S.

RUN FOR THE SUN will be shown on Turner Classic Movies on June 25, 2011, as part of an evening of Jane Greer films. TCM has a great lineup planned which includes OUT OF THE PAST (1947), THE BIG STEAL (1949), THE COMPANY SHE KEEPS (1951), DESPERATE SEARCH (1952), and a title I'm especially excited about, STATION WEST (1948), which is a hard-to-find film costarring Dick Powell. Greer fans should save the date!

TCM has clips from the film available at the TCM website.

June 2012 Update: Thanks to MGM, this movie is now available on a Region 1 DVD-R in the United States. Glenn Erickson has reviewed it at DVD Savant.

Actress Dana Wynter Dies at 79

Actress Dana Wynter has passed away at the age of 79.

Wynter died in Ojai, California, on May 5th. The story was reported by the Ojai Valley News.

Although the majority of Wynter's work consisted of TV guest appearances over a span of decades, she appeared in a handful of '50s films, most notably the original version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956).

Wynter also starred with Robert Taylor in D-DAY THE SIXTH OF JUNE (1956), Robert Wagner in IN LOVE AND WAR (1958), and James Cagney in SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL (1959).

Later film appearances included AIRPORT (1970).

Wynter was married for nearly 25 years to well-known Hollywood attorney Greg Bautzer.

Update: More on Wynter's life and career has now been published by the Los Angeles Times.

Tonight's Movie: To the Ends of the Earth (1948)

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH is a fairly unique and highly engrossing "docu-noir" starring Dick Powell as a San Francisco based U.S. Treasury agent on the trail of an opium ring.

It should perhaps be mentioned at the outset that this film is intricately plotted and features an international cast of largely unknown actors. It requires close attention and for that reason I don't recommend watching it when tired or distracted! On the other hand, I should also mention that I had to watch the movie in multiple sittings, and it felt like a good novel was waiting for me; I was anxious to get back to it so I could see the next chapter unfold.

The film begins in shocking fashion, especially given the year the film was made, as from a distance Commissioner Barrows (Dick Powell) watches a hundred men -- slaves bound for the opium trade -- thrown to their death at sea when the U.S. Coast Guard gets too close. This disturbing scene explains Barrows' motivation to follow the trail to its end point and prepares the viewer to settle in patiently as Barrows travels from San Francisco to China, Egypt, Lebanon, and Cuba, with the suspenseful climax taking place on a ship off the coast of New York. Films such as this no doubt inspired the onscreen maps used in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) decades later!

In his travels Barrows meets the mysterious Ann Grant (Signe Hasso) and her orphaned charge, Shu Pan (Maylia).

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the film is the help Barrows receives from his international counterparts, played by Vladimir Sokoloff, Marcel Journet, Luis Van Rooten, and more. (I didn't recognize Sokoloff, who plays Barrows' contact in China.) I enjoyed the theme of postwar international cooperation and the variety of characters who each had a significant role to play in smashing the ring.

The film becomes more suspenseful as Barrows closes in on unraveling the opium plot. Some of the smugglers' methods are quite fascinating. Along the way three of the suspects commit suicide, two of them in rather stunning fashion for 1948.

Indeed, according to the original New York Times review and other online sources, the producers had to obtain a Production Code waiver to even be able to address the issue of drug trafficking on screen. The Times said "emphatically" that the film was "exemplary in its treatment of this evil business," praising the film's "intelligence" and "honesty."

The movie is filmed in a style reminiscent of Fox's THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET (1945), which coincidentally also starred Signe Hasso. The film fairly seamlessly blends scenes with Powell and the other actors into extensive second unit footage which has a documentary look, and it's all held together with Powell's voiceover narration and the aforementioned use of maps. The running time is an hour and 49 minutes.

Powell is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. Barrows isn't a flashy role like his wisecracking ex-con from CRY DANGER (1951), but Powell is just right as the dedicated agent who'd rather be back home tending his rose garden but won't let up until the job is finished.

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH was directed by Robert Stevenson, whose credits ranged from the Welles-Fontaine version of JANE EYRE (1943) to a significant number of Disney films, most importantly MARY POPPINS (1964).

This Columbia film is not currently available on DVD or VHS, but it's been shown in the past on Turner Classic Movies. (My great thanks to Kristina for enabling me to see it!) TCM has clips from the film available online.

Leonard Maltin and Steven Scheuer both give TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH 3-1/2 stars, with Maltin praising it as a "fast-moving thriller" with "good acting," while Scheuer says "Intricate plotting keeps interest on high in this thrilling melodrama. Excellent."

This is a film which deserves to be better known and more widely available. I hope that in the future it will have a DVD release and accompanying publicity so that it can be discovered by new audiences.

Notable Passings

...Arthur Laurents, the highly regarded screenwriter, playwright, and Broadway director, has died at 93.

Laurents' screenplays included Hitchcock's ROPE (1948) and Max Ophuls' CAUGHT (1949), which I just saw a few weeks ago at the Noir City Film Festival in Hollywood. He also wrote ANASTASIA (1956) and THE TURNING POINT (1977). Laurents was Oscar nominated as both screenwriter and co-producer of THE TURNING POINT.

Laurents' Broadway credits included writing the book and directing WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY.

Additional obituaries have been published by the Los Angeles Times and Playbill.

...Tony-winning actress Marian Mercer has died at 75.

I have fond memories of seeing Mercer in a stage production of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER circa 1979, with James Whitmore as Sheridan Whiteside. Mercer played the role Ann Sheridan portrayed in the film version.

More on Mercer's life can be found at Playbill and The New York Times.

May 6th Update: ...Award-winning actress Sada Thompson has passed away at the age of 83.

Among Thompson's credits, I particularly appreciated the 1977 television production of OUR TOWN, in which she appeared along with Hal Holbrook, Barbara Bel Geddes, Ned Beatty, Glynnis O'Connor, and Robby Benson.

Additional obituaries can be found at New York Times and Playbill.

A Birthday Tribute to Tyrone Power

Tyrone Power, one of the greatest stars of the classic film era, was born 97 years ago today, on May 5, 1914.

There's a movement afoot asking the United States Postal Service to honor the 2014 centennial of Power's birth with a Legends of Hollywood stamp. (Gregory Peck was the most recent actor to be honored; his stamp was released last week.) Power fans can sign an online petition in support of such a stamp.

Those who wish to support the stamp can also write a letter to the Postal Service; the address is available at Tyrone Power.com.

Power, along with Cary Grant, is my all-time favorite actor. I've loved him since I first saw THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) as a child, and I couldn't begin to count how many times I've seen it since. It's one of the most enjoyable films ever made, thanks in large part to Power's performance, ably supported by Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell, Gale Sondergaard, and Eugene Pallette.

Power's work encompassed swashbucklers, Westerns, costume dramas, romantic comedies, fantasies, and even musicals. His looks were so remarkable that it's sometimes almost an afterthought to acknowledge that he was also a superb actor whose skills grew even more impressive with the passage of time.

Power served in the Marines during WWII, after which he gave some of his most highly regarded dramatic performances in films such as THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947), THE LONG GRAY LINE (1955), and WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957). His early death at the age of 44 was a great loss for all who love his work.

Tyrone Power films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: GIRLS' DORMITORY (1936), LADIES IN LOVE (1936), LOVE IS NEWS (1937), SECOND HONEYMOON (1937), CAFE METROPOLE (1937), THIN ICE (1937), IN OLD CHICAGO (1938), DAY-TIME WIFE (1939), BRIGHAM YOUNG (1940), A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (1941), THE BLACK SWAN (1942), SON OF FURY (1942), CRASH DIVE (1943), THAT WONDERFUL URGE (1948), THE LUCK OF THE IRISH (1948), RAWHIDE (1951), I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU (1951), and DIPLOMATIC COURIER (1952).

A concluding thought on Power from Caftan Woman, who found this quote from Alice Faye, a great talent also born on this date: "He was the best looking thing I've ever seen in my life. Kissing him was like dying and going to heaven."

2012 Updates: Adding a link for my review of JOHNNY APOLLO (1940). And Coleen Gray remembers Tyrone Power in an interview with me.

2013 Update: Here are reviews of THE RAZOR'S EDGE (1946), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947), and PRINCE OF FOXES (1949).

2014 Update: I marked Tyrone Power's Centennial by watching THIS ABOVE ALL (1942), and I also wrote about PONY SOLDIER (1952) for the O Canada Blogathon in October. I watched KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (1953) for the British Empire in Film Blogathon in November.

I also wrote about my favorite Tyrone Power film, THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940), and posted an extensive gallery of images from the film.

2014 Update: A visit to Tyrone Power's gravesite at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

2016 Update: Here's a review of THE LONG GRAY LINE (1955).

2018 Update: I've posted a review of WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957).

2019 Update: A return visit to Tyrone Power's gravesite at Hollywood Forever.

2020 Update: A Tribute to Tyrone Power, adapted from my 2013 column for ClassicFlix.

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Actor-Director Jackie Cooper Dies at 88

Jackie Cooper, whose lengthy career included being an Oscar-nominated child actor and an Emmy-winning TV director, has passed away at the age of 88.

Cooper was nominated as Best Actor for SKIPPY (1931).

Cooper's roles included starring with Wallace Beery in the classics THE CHAMP (1931) and TREASURE ISLAND (1934). Thanks to Moira Finnie for the tip that TREASURE ISLAND airs on Turner Classic Movies this Saturday, May 7th.

As Cooper moved through adolescence he continued to star in films such as THAT CERTAIN AGE (1938) opposite Deanna Durbin. His later career included starring in the TV series HENNESEY, working on Broadway and in London's West End, serving as a vice president of the TV production company Screen Gems, and directing many popular TV series. He won Emmy awards for directing episodes of M*A*S*H and THE WHITE SHADOW.

For those of us who were teens in the late '70s, Cooper is also inextricably linked with the SUPERMAN franchise, where Cooper played editor Perry White opposite Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent.

Cooper was a veteran who had served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and later served in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Here's the TCM Remembers tribute which will be airing in between movies this week:



Thursday Update: TCM is changing its daytime schedule on Friday, May 13th, to honor Cooper. Films shown will include DINKY (1935) and THE CHAMP (1931).

TCM Star of the Month: Esther Williams

This month Turner Classic Movies features a longtime favorite of mine, Esther Williams, as its Star of the Month.

TCM will be showing 21 Williams films in May, beginning Wednesday evening, May 5th.

Esther Williams, of course, holds a unique place in cinema history as the great swimming star of the movies. But there was more to her than that: she had a charming and confident personality which translated into a very appealing screen presence, and of course, she was truly a bathing beauty.

I've seen most of Williams' films multiple times, going back to when I discovered MGM musicals around the age of 10 or 11, and in turn, she was an actress who helped lure my children -- one in particular -- into being classic film fans.

Even the lesser of Williams' films are, among other things, marvels of Technicolor. There isn't a movie released today that looks anything like an Esther Williams film, and we're the poorer for it.

The fun kicks off May 5th with Williams' first starring role, in BATHING BEAUTY (1944), costarring Red Skelton and Basil Rathbone, not to mention Xavier Cugat!

That's followed by THRILL OF A ROMANCE (1945) with Van Johnson and then EASY TO WED (1946), a fun remake of LIBELED LADY (1936) costarring Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, and Keenan Wynn.

FIESTA (1947) is one of my favorite Williams films, though not so much for her or the story, which is some silliness about her wanting to be a bullfighter; the reason I love it is because it features some really spectacular dancing by Cyd Charisse and Ricardo Montalban. The movie's worth watching for them alone.

The evening concludes with THIS TIME FOR KEEPS (1947) and ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU (1948), the latter once again costarring the great team of Charisse and Montalban, along with Peter Lawford.

Five films will be shown on May 12th, starting with one of my favorites, NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949). Esther starred with a great cast -- Montalban, Skelton, and the late, great Betty Garrett -- in the film which gave us the Oscar-winning song "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

That's followed by another favorite, TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME (1949), starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Garrett. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I've seen this film or heard "O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg."

DUCHESS OF IDAHO (1950), PAGAN LOVE SONG (1950), and TEXAS CARNIVAL (1951) close out the evening; the lead actors in those titles are Van Johnson, Howard Keel, and Howard Keel, respectively.

On May 19th Williams plays swimmer Annette Kellerman in MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1952), costarring Victor Mature and Walter Pidgeon.

SKIRTS AHOY! (1952) is a modestly entertaining film about the WAVES. DANGEROUS WHEN WET (1953) costars Fernando Lamas, who became Williams' husband in 1969; the marriage lasted until his death in 1982. EASY TO LOVE (1953) was the last of Williams' films with Van Johnson.

The last film on the 19th is one of her strangest, JUPITER'S DARLING (1955), a film set in ancient Rome which also stars Howard Keel, Marge and Gower Champion, and George Sanders. This one left me cold the only time I saw it, but it's one of my younger daughter's favorite films!

The films shown on May 26th are an interesting grouping of Williams' early work, bit parts, cameo roles, and straight dramatic work.

The evening starts with one of the rare Williams films I haven't seen, a drama called THE UNGUARDED MOMENT (1956).

Also shown: her early work in ANDY HARDY'S DOUBLE LIFE (1942), a small role in A GUY NAMED JOE (1943), THE HOODLUM SAINT (1946) with William Powell, and a film in which she played a cameo, CALLAWAY WENT THATAWAY (1951).

It would be nice if sometime this month TCM squeezed in a 17-minute short she made with Edward Arnold, INFLATION (1942), but to date I've not read anywhere that it will be shown.

For those who miss Williams' films on TCM, I highly recommend the TCM Spotlight DVD sets Esther Williams, Vol. 1 and Volume 2. They get a lot of play in our house. :)

A decade ago, Williams published her memoir THE MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Fans can also visit the Official Esther Williams Website.

For more information on TCM in May, please visit TCM in May: Highlights or the complete schedule.

June 2013 Update: Farewell to Esther Williams.

Tonight's Movie: Hangover Square (1945)

The year after the release of last night's movie, THE LODGER (1944), actors Laird Cregar and George Sanders reunited with director John Brahm, screenwriter Barre Lyndon, and producer Robert Bassler to make another Victorian murder melodrama, HANGOVER SQUARE.

Like THE LODGER, HANGOVER SQUARE is sumptuously produced and establishes terrific mood; it also has superb black and white photography, in this case by Joseph LaShelle. Additionally, the movie has a more sensitive, less broadly played performance by leading actor Laird Cregar, as well as the plus of a score by Bernard Herrmann. Watching the two films back to back, as suggested by a comment for my review of THE LODGER, was definitely a worthwhile and interesting experience.

All that said, I found HANGOVER SQUARE far less enjoyable than THE LODGER. While THE LODGER was deliciously creepy, with the scares alternating with the briefly developed romance of George Sanders and Merle Oberon, HANGOVER SQUARE is unremittingly gloomy, a tragedy of epic proportions which culminates in a series of disturbing sequences.

George Harvey Bone (Cregar) is a composer of great promise. His work is championed by the admiring pianist Barbara (Faye Marlowe, in her film debut); Barbara's conductor father (Alan Napier) plans to premiere the concerto Bone is composing. (Napier is made up to look a couple decades older than his actual early '40s.)

There are two problems with Bone finishing his concerto: he has a tendency to black out and not remember where he's been, though he has the disturbing feeling that he's done something very bad; and he's distracted by his unrequited love for a music hall floozy, Netta (Linda Darnell), who leads him on so that he'll compose songs to help make her a star.

In an effort to understand his blackout periods, Bone visits Dr. Allan Middleton (Sanders), an analyst at Scotland Yard. Middleton tries to unravel the case as bad things keep happening to those around Bone: there's an attempt to strangle Barbara, and then Netta goes missing...

As the film went on I found it increasingly difficult to watch, despite my admiration for the cast and the production quality. Bone is a heartbroken, heartbreaking character who could have had a happy life, were it not for Netta -- and those blackouts. What happens to Netta is ugly...but I think what disturbed me even more were scenes with a sweet, helpless little cat!

I think another aspect that made the film more challenging to enjoy is that so much screen time is spent with characters behaving badly, specifically George and Netta. Cregar and Darnell are both excellent, but their characters are not precisely pleasant to watch. The knowledge that this was Cregar's last film -- he died before it was released -- adds to the feeling of melancholy which envelops the film. The movie is missing the storytelling balance which is present to a much greater extent in THE LODGER, where there are several characters who engage the audience's sympathy.

George Sanders is once again cast as the hero, but his screen time in the 77-minute HANGOVER SQUARE might be even more limited than it was in the 84-minute THE LODGER. It's always a bit of a relief from the film's tension when Sanders' thoughtful and intelligent character is on screen! But while Dr. Middleton flirts lightly with Barbara and acts heroically in the final sequence, HANGOVER SQUARE is largely given over to the travails of the murderous George Bone.

The supporting cast includes Glenn Langan (fairly underused, with just a couple of scenes), J. Farrell MacDonald, and Francis Ford.

Bernard Herrmann's score can be obtained on CD on the album CITIZEN KANE: THE CLASSIC FILM SCORES OF BERNARD HERRMANN, an entry in the Classic Film Scores series.

HANGOVER SQUARE was based on a novel by Patrick Hamilton.

HANGOVER SQUARE is available on DVD in the Fox Horror Classics Collection, along with John Brahm's THE LODGER (1944) and THE UNDYING MONSTER (1942). Extras include two separate commentary tracks, including one with the participation of supporting actress Faye Marlowe; a radio version starring Vincent Price (whose voice seems similar to Cregar's); and featurettes on Laird Cregar and John Brahm.

The DVD is available from Netflix, as is THE LODGER.

This film has also been shown on Fox Movie Channel.

May 2015 Update: I had the pleasure of seeing this beautiful print screened again at the 2015 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, California. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it more the second time around.

TCM Announces 2012 Film Festival and December Cruise

Turner Classic Movies ended the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival with an announcement of plans for a third festival in 2012.

TCM also announced plans for a TCM Classic Cruise in December 2011.

Dates and other information about the 2012 festival will be announced at a future date.

Visit the 2011 Festival website for blog posts, photos, and videos of the just-concluded weekend in Hollywood.

Tuesday Update: Leonard Maltin shares his thoughts on the festival, and Lou Lumenick weighs in on seeing NIGHT FLIGHT (1933).

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

This New York Times photo summarizes the feelings of the past few hours for me:

(Via S.E. Cupp.)

God bless our brave military!

Tonight's Movie: The Lodger (1944)

When I posted information about this month's Fox Movie Channel schedule, I took the time to read up on THE LODGER (1944), starring Merle Oberon and George Sanders. Among other things, I was intrigued that it was directed by John Brahm, who later made THE LOCKET (1946) and SINGAPORE (1947); and George Sanders in the cast is always a plus for me. Happily, I already had a recording of the film, thanks to a Merle Oberon "Summer Under the Stars" day on Turner Classic Movies, so I watched it this evening.

THE LODGER is a terrifically atmospheric Victorian murder melodrama. The tone is set from the start of the opening credits, which wash onto the screen in waves -- a nice bit of foreshadowing. Fox must have used every fog machine in Hollywood, credibly creating a spooky, fogbound London. There are some tremendous shots of the silhouettes of police on horseback. This is the kind of film which could only be made in black and white; color would have made it a completely different movie.

Jack the Ripper is terrorizing London, slicing and dicing actresses in the streets of Whitechapel. During this time period, the Bontings (Sara Allgood and Sir Cedric Hardwicke), a kindly couple in tightened financial circumstances, rent a room to a strange man (Laird Cregar).

As time passes by, the Bontings gradually come to suspect their lodger could be Jack the Ripper himself -- and they fear their beautiful actress niece Kitty (Merle Oberon), who also lives with them, may be in great danger. Inspector John Warwick (George Sanders) is on the case, and it soon becomes apparent that his interest in protecting Kitty is more than professional.

There are few things I enjoy more in a movie than seeing George Sanders play an intrepid hero. Sure, he's a great villain, but he plays that type of role in so many films that when he puts his charismatic talents to use as a good guy, it's even better. Indeed, he's one of the reasons FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) is my favorite Hitchcock film.

Alas, it takes quite a while for Sanders to first appear on screen -- and his relationship with Kitty seems to take a giant leap offscreen, somewhere in between his asking her to tea and his showing up to take her to her opening -- but when he's onscreen he's great fun, whether he's pressing Kitty to spend time with him or dusting her home for fingerprints. Although...isn't it curious that he says early on that London police don't have guns, and yet he's shooting one during the action-packed conclusion?

It goes without saying that Merle Oberon is lovely; in fact, this was the film for which cinematographer Lucien Ballard invented the Obie, a spotlight which washed out Oberon's facial scarring. I thought she was quite credible as a music hall performer.

Allgood and Hardwicke are excellent as Oberon's aunt and uncle, ensuring that their roles are fleshed out and aren't simply stock characters. The supporting cast also includes Queenie Leonard, Doris Lloyd, and Aubrey Mather.

Laird Cregar is amazingly creepy; you really wonder at times why Kitty and her family don't kick him out, yet they're such believably nice people -- and he pays in advance! -- that it also makes sense that they're willing to explain away his actions.

Cregar's early death was a tragedy for films. One of his best roles was in I WAKE UP SCREAMING (1941). He made many other quality films, including BLOOD AND SAND (1941), THE BLACK SWAN (1942), RINGS ON HER FINGERS (1942), THIS GUN FOR HIRE (1942), HELLO FRISCO, HELLO (1943), HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1943), and his last film, HANGOVER SQUARE (1944).

THE LODGER runs 84 minutes. The screenplay by Barre Lyndon was based on the book by Marie Belloc Lowndes. The book was previously adapted as a silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927.

THE LODGER is available on DVD in the Fox Horror Classics collection, which also includes HANGOVER SQUARE (1945), starring Cregar and Linda Darnell, and THE UNDYING MONSTER (1942), starring James Ellison and Heather Angel. All three films were directed by John Brahm. There are plentiful extras, including commentary tracks and featurettes; I'll definitely be looking to pick this set up in the future. The commentary on THE LODGER is by film noir experts Alain Silver and James Ursini.

As mentioned, the film will be on Fox Movie Channel this month, on May 13 and May 23, 2011. It's also been shown in the past on Turner Classic Movies.

Update: Please click here for a review of HANGOVER SQUARE (1945), starring Cregar, Sanders, and Linda Darnell.

Fox Movie Channel in May: Highlights

Here's a preview of some of the interesting titles airing on Fox Movie Channel in May.

As always, keep in mind that Fox typically shows films multiple times over several weeks; I've only listed one air date per film. Check the schedule for alternate air dates.

...On May 2nd, FMC is showing Fritz Lang's highly regarded MAN HUNT (1941), starring Walter Pidgeon, Joan Bennett, and George Sanders. This title has been on my "to see" list for a while!

...There's a Doris Day film I've never seen, CAPRICE (1967), airing on May 5th.

...Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott star in the classic Western THE GUNFIGHTER (1950), directed by Henry King, on May 9th.

...On May 11th, HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955) stars Robert Ryan and Robert Stack; it's a crime film set in Tokyo.

...Betty Grable and Dan Dailey star in the musical CALL ME MISTER (1951) on May 12th.

...THE LODGER (1944), a murder mystery starring Merle Oberon, George Sanders, and Laird Cregar, will air on May 13th. George Sanders as a police inspector? Yes, please!

...June Haver and William Lundigan star in LOVE NEST (1951), with Marilyn Monroe in the supporting cast, on May 14th.

...On May 15th there's another Gregory Peck film directed by Henry King, DAVID AND BATHSHEBA (1951), also starring Susan Hayward.

...May 17th there's a back-to-back double bill of CLAUDIA (1943) and CLAUDIA AND DAVID (1946). Both films star Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young. Recommended, particularly the first film.

...As a Linda Darnell fan, I'm especially looking forward to THE LOVES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE (1942), airing on May 20th. Shepperd Strudwick (then billed as John Shepperd) stars as Poe, with Virginia Gilmore costarring.

...It seems to be a Gregory Peck-Henry King month, with their Western THE BRAVADOS (1958) being shown on May 22nd. The film has a great Alfred Newman theme discussed a bit in this post.

...Danny Kaye and beautiful Gene Tierney star in ON THE RIVIERA (1951) on May 27th. It's a remake of THAT NIGHT IN RIO (1941).

...On May 29th Warner Baxter, Lynn Bari, and Cesar Romero star in RETURN OF THE CISCO KID (1939).

...Memorial Day viewing on May 30th includes FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP (1944), starring Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, Mitzi Mayfair, and an all-star cast in a loosely fact-based story about Army camp entertainers during WWII.

Fox Movie Channel tends to show titles in several-month cycles, and there are many other good films which have been highlighted here in the last few months still being shown on Fox. There's a box to search titles on the upper right of the main Fox Movie Channel web page.

Enjoy Fox Movie Channel in May!