New Western RoundUp Column at Classic Movie Hub

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

This month I share my visit to a number of classic film locations in Lone Pine, California. Along with the well-known Alabama Hills, we check out some other nearby areas where Westerns were shot.

The article features a number of photographs and comparison screen shots. I hope everyone will enjoy it.

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

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

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: The Long, Long Trailer (1954) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz star in THE LONG, LONG TRAILER (1954), which was released on Blu-ray this week by the Warner Archive.

Ball and Arnaz play Tacy and Nicky, who as the movie begins are planning their wedding. Nicky's job will take him on the road, and Tacy is convinced that a trailer will allow them to have a "real home" in any city and also save money.

Of course, they end up spending a small fortune on the trailer and related gear, and they also discover it's a challenge to drive something so long and heavy. Will Tacy and Nicky's honeymoon survive the many challenges presented by the title trailer?!

Although I've seen a majority of the films directed by Vincente Minnelli, this is one I'd not yet caught -- part of the reason being that while I like the Lucy of '30s and '40s films, I'm not a particular fan of her "loud" comedy style as seen on TV's I LOVE LUCY (1951-57).

She's a bit more restrained in this film than the TV series, perhaps due to her director, and THE LONG, LONG TRAILER is a fairly entertaining 96 minutes. The script by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich is built around predictable situations -- with lots of Lucy's trademark physical comedy and the expected exasperation from Desi -- but it works pretty well.

One of the best things about the movie is its overall sleek "look," which is probably not a surprise given the director's great sense of style. I loved the set design for the trailer show Tacy and Nicky attend early in the movie, with someone diving into a shallow pool, and I would have liked to take a complete detailed tour of the beautiful trailer! 

Shots of the trailer whizzing along the highway in Yosemite are simply gorgeous. I also enjoyed the visuals provided by costume designer Helen Rose; Tacy's wedding gown is lovely.

It was fun to see additional familiar sites such as Red Rock Canyon during Tacy and Nicky's travels. My favorite place they visited, though, was on the MGM backlot: Tacy's aunt clearly lives on MGM's "St. Louis Street," where Minnelli had filmed the classic MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) a decade earlier.

Although Marjorie Main and Keenan Wynn are prominently billed in the opening credits, they're really just cameos. Other familiar faces seen in the movie are Moroni Olsen (who had recently worked with Minnelli on the FATHER OF THE BRIDE movies), Madge Blake, Jack Kruschen, and Herb Vigran.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray looks terrific, showing off the widescreen color cinematography of Robert Surtees to fine effect.

Disc extras include the movie trailer; the Pete Smith Specialty short AIN'T IT AGGRAVATIN'? (1954); and the Tex Avery cartoon DIXIELAND DROOPY (1954).

It's an amusing movie and a beautiful disc. Fans of Lucy, Minnelli, and colorful '50s settings will want to give it a look.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

Tweet

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

Longtime swimming star Esther Williams stars in THE UNGUARDED MOMENT (1956), recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Williams has a straight dramatic role as a teacher in this very enjoyable suspense film, which believe it or not was scripted from a story cowritten by actress Rosalind Russell. Russell coauthored the original story with Larry Marcus, who then wrote the script along with Herb Meadow.

Williams plays Lois Conway, a high school music teacher. The genial Lois is liked by her students, but one, Leonard (John Saxon), likes her a little too well; he makes a violently aggressive pass at her which Lois manages to escape.

Despite that frightening experience, Lois has some unrealistic rose-colored glasses and views Leonard as a "child" in need of help, rather than as an 18-year-old man capable of doing serious harm.

Lois crosses paths with Lt. Harry Graham (George Nader), a police detective investigating a local murder. He knows that Lois was attacked, but not who did it, and he has concerns that the culprit might also be the murderer he's seeking.

Lois initially tries to help keep Leonard out of trouble with the police, but she's aghast to soon discover that it's her own reputation on the line at her job, thanks to both the principal (Les Tremayne) and Leonard's father (Edward Andrews) preferring to think the worst of Lois.

To Lois's annoyance, the fact she's single is commented on by several people in a sexist way, as though it's a character flaw; the principal, not wanting to lose Leonard as his star football player, begins to treat Lois as someone who can't be trusted around young men.

Ironically, given that, the one bright spot for Lois is that she and Harry discover they rather like bickering with one another and fall in love...

I found THE UNGUARDED MOMENT a highly enjoyable 95 minutes. It doesn't break any new ground -- indeed, it's fairly obvious where the plot is going from an early juncture -- but there's a lot of pleasure in how the story is told. Despite some overall predictability to the film, the relationship between Harry and Lois is extremely well scripted, and the film also has some solid insights into Leonard's problems.

I was charmed by the relationship between Lois and Harry; they start out arguing, but it's never intense, and they acknowledge early on that they rather like each other. It's refreshing to see an adult romance, simultaneously tender and sizzling, between two mature adults, and I also appreciated that while Harry could disagree with Lois, he also believed in her.

Not to mention that Lois's dress for the high school dance is a knockout! Harry is a lucky man.

Longtime readers know that I'm a big fan of Esther's; I've always been impressed with her smooth transition from swimming to screen star. Her film persona is typically one of poise and confidence, and that's on display here, without a swimming pool in sight.

Thanks to a nuanced script and her own acting skill, Williams navigates her character initially being unrealistically sympathetic toward her troubled student without having her come off as a complete idiot.

I like the give and take between Lois and Harry and the way they share different points of view while also listening to one another; with the passage of time Lois realizes a caring teacher isn't going to be enough to solve Leonard's problems and that Harry will need to step in.

Nader was a staple of '50s Universal Pictures films such as SIX BRIDGES TO CROSS (1955) and THE FEMALE ANIMAL (1958); he's always acceptable yet hasn't been a standout for me in other movies, but he makes a very positive impression in this film. He and Williams have excellent chemistry.

This was a very early role for John Saxon; at times he's downright creepy, but ultimately he brings deeper shadings to a boy with issues. We realize that Leonard has suffered tremendously at the hands of his disturbed father, memorably portrayed by Andrews..

The cast also includes Jack Albertson, Dani Crayne (who later married David Janssen), Eleanor Audley, and Edward Platt.

The movie was effectively directed by Harry Keller, with attractive widescreen photography by William Daniels.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray, from a new 2K master, looks great. The disc has not one but two commentary tracks, one by David Del Valle and David DeCoteau and the other by Jason A. Ney. I'm looking forward to what each of them has to say about this interesting film.

The disc also includes the trailer and a gallery for five additional trailers for other movies available from Kino Lorber.

There's more Esther Williams on Blu-ray coming in the near future! Kino Lorber will be releasing her film RAW WIND IN EDEN (1958), also starring Jeff Chandler, in February. I'll be reviewing it here in the fairly near future.

In March, look for one of my favorite Esther Williams films, NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (1949), on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

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

Tweet

Latest 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements

Today Turner Classic Movies announced several interesting titles for this April's TCM Classic Film Festival.

Here are the newly announced films:

*ONE WAY PASSAGE (1932), the pre-Code classic starring William Powell and Kay Francis

*THE WISER SEX (1932), a pre-Code I've never seen starring Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas, with a supporting cast including Franchot Tone - this is the kind of film which is typically a festival "sellout"!

*OLD ACQUAINTANCE (1943), an 80th anniversary showing starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins (Update: This film is no longer on the schedule, but THE OLD MAID starring the same actresses will be shown instead.)

*THE RED SHOES (1948), a 75th anniversary showing of the Powell-Pressburger masterpiece starring Moira Shearer, which I was fortunate to see at UCLA several years ago -- and would love to see again

*IKIRU (1952) directed by Akira Kurosawa

*AIRPORT (1970), which will be shown in 70mm; I had a great time seeing this at the Egyptian Theatre nearly a decade ago and, similar to THE RED SHOES, I'd love to experience it again

*STAND AND DELIVER (1988) - a 35th anniversary screening

The complete list of announced films to date has a page on the festival website.

The TCM Classic Film Festival will take place in Hollywood from April 13th to 16th, 2023.

Previously: TCM Announces 2023 Festival Dates and Theme (October 18, 2022); 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements (November 11, 2022).

There was also a brief festival update regarding Russ Tamblyn appearing at the festival in my "Around the Blogosphere This Week" news roundup on January 14, 2023.

Updates: New TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements (February 16, 2023); Latest TCM Classic Film Festival Announcements (March 4, 2023); TCM Classic Film Festival Announces Opening Night Movie (March 15, 2023); The 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule (March 29, 2023).

Tweet

95th Annual Academy Award Nominations

The 95th annual Academy Award nominations were announced this morning.

The complete list was published by The Hollywood Reporter.

As usual in recent years, despite being a huge film fan my interest is minimal.

The Academy threw a bone to last year's most popular movie, TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022), giving it a Best Picture nomination, but I'd be shocked if it won.

It was also nice to see a Best Actress nomination for fan favorite Michelle Yeoh, nominated for EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022). I'm not sure that movie would be in my "wheelhouse," but I've enjoyed Yeoh in many films and it's great to see her work recognized.

Second-generation Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the same film.

I've not yet seen WAKANDA FOREVER (2022) as I decided perhaps I'd like to hang on to my fond memories of the late Chadwick Boseman in BLACK PANTHER (2018) rather than watch a sad movie -- a choice which was made easier by the recent Marvel films being overall disappointments. I no longer have the implicit trust in the series I had up through AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019).

Sadly I don't even have any interest in this year's Disney nomination for Best Animated Film, TURNING RED (2022).

The Oscars ceremony will take place in Hollywood on Sunday, March 12th.

A note for fans of Turner Classic Movies: The 29th annual 31 Days of Oscar festival will take place on the network in March 2023 this year.

Previous Oscar nomination posts: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. There was no Oscar post in 2009 and just a brief news roundup mention in 2021.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Warning Shot (1967) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

David Janssen stars as an LAPD sergeant in a bad spot in WARNING SHOT (1967), just released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

I've been curious to see this one since reading a review by Colin at Riding the High Country a few years ago, and I was glad to finally catch up with it. It's an interesting procedural with a great cast, although in the end I think Colin was correct that while it's entertaining, the movie also has shortcomings.

Janssen plays Sgt. Tom Valens, who late one night is on a stakeout at an apartment building with Sgt. Musso (Keenan Wynn).

Valens spots a man acting suspiciously and orders him to stop, only to have a gun pulled on him; Valens kills the man in self-defense.

Two problems ensue: The dead man (Donald Curtis) was a doctor most people think was a saint, and there's no gun found at the scene, seriously complicating Valens' claim of self-defense.

D.A. Frank Sanderman (Sam Wanamaker) has a chip on his shoulder against cops and takes satisfaction in charging Valens with manslaughter. With 10 days until his court hearing and no help coming from the police department, Valens attempts to find the truth about the doctor's life, hoping it will in turn lead him to the missing gun.

The movie was written by Mann Rubin based on a novel by Whit Masterson; it plays rather like a high-class episode of something like DRAGNET, closer to a movie of the week than a theatrical film.

Instead of the character actors who were DRAGNET regulars, WARNING SHOT gives us an all-star parade of brief cameos by the likes of Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders, and Eleanor Parker, with Lillian Gish having a slightly more substantive role.

The casting is simultaneously a strength and a drawback for the film; the actors are all great fun to see, especially for classic film fans, but their brief appearances prevent the film from having much depth.

Joan Collins has a slightly larger part as Tom's soon-to-be ex-wife, who thinks she might win him back if he's forced out of his job; ironically, though, her character has fairly little to do with the mystery at hand. She serves to flesh out Tom's background a bit, but the time might have been better spent trying to deepen the characters surrounding the crime.

Janssen and Ed Begley Sr., playing Valens' captain, have the most screen time and character shadings, and Janssen is compelling enough to keep things interesting.

The film's portrayal of Los Angeles in the late '60s is also quite enjoyable, including not only a handful of location shots but Valens' boss wanting to go to Philippe's for a sandwich. (Alas, he never actually gets there.) I would have liked to see even more of the city in the movie, but the film's general "look" reminded me of the Los Angeles of my '70s childhood.

The presence of longtime L.A. news anchor Jerry Dunphy early in the film added to the authenticity. The cast also includes Stefanie Powers, Steve Allen, George Grizzard, John Garfield Jr., and John Mitchum in a bit part.

A fun note of cast trivia: Donald Curtis, who briefly plays the murder victim, played the doctor who treats Tootie on Halloween in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) over two decades previously.

An additional angle which interested me was that themes raised regarding police shootings and media railroading underscore that some of today's "hot button issues" actually go back for many decades. The media issue, in particular, is something it would have been interesting to see explored in greater depth as it related to Valens' predicament.

In the end, WARNING SHOT is an entertaining 100 minutes which I suspect many of my readers will also enjoy, with the caution that when it ends the viewer will feel a tad as though the film has been a lightweight, star-packed LOVE BOAT of police procedurals rather than something more substantial.

The behind-the-scenes talent included direction by Buzz Kulik, cinematography by Joseph Biroc, costumes by Edith Head, and a score by Jerry Goldsmith.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray used a new HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm interpositive. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about Biroc's color photography, but the disc itself looks and sounds great.

Disc extras include a commentary track by Steve Mitchell and Howard S. Berger along with a gallery of trailers for nine additional films also available from Kino Lorber.

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

Tweet

Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Thanks to reader Mel for mentioning that actress Piper Laurie will be 91 on Sunday, January 22nd. Happiest birthday wishes to her!

...I always enjoy Leonard Maltin's "New and Notable book" roundups. Here's a brand-new list for January 2023. BALLERINA ON A HORSE, about Western leading lady Nell O'Day, looks great! I got HOLLYWOOD: THE ORAL HISTORY by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson at Christmas but haven't been able to crack it open yet.

...Steven Spielberg has a documentary on composer John Williams in the works.

...There's a trailer out for MARLOWE (2023), starring Liam Neeson as Raymond Chandler's famed detective. Jessica Lange, Diane Kruger, and Danny Huston costar. This one gets a "Yes" from me.

...Regal Cinemas, currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is closing 39 theaters across the country. Locally the list includes the Regal Edwards Metro Pointe in Costa Mesa.

...My favorite restaurant, El Cholo, celebrates its centennial this year.

...I really enjoyed Colin's review of THUNDERHOOF (1948) at Riding the High Country. Preston Foster, Mary Stuart, and William Bishop star, directed by Phil Karlson.

...BLONDIE: THE COMPLETE 1957 TELEVISION SERIES will be released on Blu-ray by ClassicFlix in April. Arthur Lake and Pamela Britton star.

...As someone who enjoys tracking and tallying my movie viewing annually, I enjoyed the 2022 roundup at Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.

...Glenn Erickson reports that there's a 3D Blu-ray in the works for SOUTHWEST PASSAGE (1954) starring Rod Cameron, Joanne Dru, and John Ireland.

...Rachel reviews Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo in THE BIG LAND (1957) at her blog Hamlette's Soliloquy. I think we saw it similarly; quoting my own review, it's "standard issue," but "sometimes that's what hits the spot."

...Coming from Running Press in May: WARNER BROS.: 100 YEARS OF STORYTELLING by Mark Vieira. Vieira is the author of beautiful, well-written film books such as HARLOW IN HOLLYWOOD (cowritten with Darrell Rooney). Variety has a story on the new book.

...Shout! Factory is releasing SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (1948) on Blu-ray in March. Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster star.

...Non-film books on my wish list this year include 100 MORNING TREATS by Sarah Kieffer, who's written some of my favorite baking books, and QUEEN VICTORIA'S DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW by John Van der Kiste. The cookbook is due in May; the royalty bio is also releasing in the U.S. in May but will be out in the UK in February.

...Notable Passings: The great Gina Lollobrigida has passed away at the age of 95. I was very fortunate to see her in person at a screening of TRAPEZE (1956) and the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival (seen here in a TCM press photo). I find her particularly delightful opposite Rock Hudson in COME SEPTEMBER (1961)...Famed Lindy Hop dancer Jean Veloz, the second wife of dancer Frank Veloz, has died at 98. Her onscreen dance scenes included THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (1945) with Jack Benny...RYAN'S HOPE soap star Michael Levin has passed on at 90...Miiko Taka, whose work included SAYONARA (1957), CRY FOR HAPPY (1961), WALK DON'T RUN (1966), and TV's SHOGUN (1980) miniseries, has died at 90...Rock star David Crosby has died at 81; I'm mentioning his passing here as his father was cinematographer Floyd Crosby (HIGH NOON)...Dancer Arthur Duncan of THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW has died at 97...Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, will be interred at Graceland on January 22nd. She recently passed away at the age of 54...I appreciated Toby's brief remembrance of Packy Smith at 50 Westerns From the 50s.  Packy, who died in 2019, was a Western film historian who was a key player involved with the Lone Pine Film Festival.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my January 14th roundup.

Tweet

A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park

After a rainy start to the month, today was cool but sunny in Southern California, and my husband and I decided to go for one of our periodic cemetery walks.

Today we visited Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. Rose Hills first opened in 1914 and claims to be the largest cemetery in the United States, with 1400 acres, and having now visited I can agree it's definitely huge compared to the many other cemeteries we have visited over the years. It flanks both sides of a street, with many entrances.

We started our stops today not with a filmmaker, but at the gravesite of longtime Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who passed away two years ago this month. He's buried next to his wife Jo, who died a few months after Tommy. As a lifelong Dodgers fan, I found this a particularly moving visit.

Our next stop was the gravesite of actor Keye Luke, whose acting career stretched over half a century. He's particularly known for playing Lee Chan in the long-running Charlie Chan movie series.

Ken Carson was in a number films, mostly appearing onscreen as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers. He also voiced the Wise Old Owl in Disney's SO DEAR TO MY HEART (1948).

Timothy Carey was known for his intimidating screen portrayals of crazies, including a hit man in THE KILLING (1956).

The marker for actor William Hopper is currently in sad condition. Hopper is fondly recalled for his role as Paul Drake on TV's PERRY MASON (1957-66) series. He was the son of gossip columnist and actress Hedda Hopper.

Billy Laughlin is remembered as "Froggy" in the OUR GANG shorts, appearing in the series from 1940 to 1944. He sadly died young in an accident. His parents were later buried next to him on a very steep hillside.

Mary Gordon sometimes seems to have "cornered the market" playing Irish cleaning ladies in the classic film era -- although she was actually Scottish! She accumulated over 300 acting credits between 1925 and her retirement in 1950.

Griff Barnett was a wonderful character actor who appeared in favorite films such as CRISS CROSS (1949) and APARTMENT FOR PEGGY (1948). He's buried next to his wife Lora.

Our last stop of the day was at the gravesite of Lewis Arquette. Arquette was a semiregular as J.D. Pickett on one of my favorite TV series, THE WALTONS, from 1978-81. He was the son of Cliff "Charlie Weaver" Arquette and the father of five children, including actors Rosanna, Patricia, and David Arquette.

We covered a lot of ground today, given the size of Rose Hills, but appreciated the opportunity to contemplate each of these people's contributions to films (and baseball!) and how their work has enriched our lives.

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3, A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills (2022), A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery (2022), Part 1, and A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery (2022), Part 2.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Francis in the Navy (1955) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Donald O'Connor's six-film run as Peter Stirling in the Francis the Talking Mule movies concluded with FRANCIS IN THE NAVY (1955), available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

FRANCIS IN THE NAVY is part of a seven-film Francis the Talking Mule Collection from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. I've reviewed all of the prior Francis films in the set over the course of several months; links are provided at the end of this review.

The final movie in the set features a new leading man, Mickey Rooney. I'll be reviewing that film, FRANCIS IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1956), at a future date.

FRANCIS IN THE NAVY follows the typical Francis formula, but while it may be fairly predictable, the film is made more enjoyable by a fun cast which includes Martha Hyer, Richard Erdman, Clint Eastwood, David Janssen, Martin Milner, Jim Backus, and Virginia O'Brien.

This time around Peter is still in the army when he receives an SOS from his old pal Francis, who is about to be sold by the Navy as surplus.

Peter intends to rescue Francis, but when he shows up he's mistaken for a sailor who looks just like him, named Slicker Donevan.

Between insisting he's not Slicker and that he's trying to save a talking mule, Peter's an easy candidate for the psych ward.

By this point the situations in the Francis films were easy to anticipate, to the point it's assumed the audience is in on the joke when Peter is seen doing arts and crafts in the psych ward again -- though at least having O'Connor play two characters was a novel twist!

They're not particularly scintillating films, yet I find they're pleasantly undemanding viewing after a long workday, and the Universal Pictures casts are always interesting.

The films in the series often provide an opportunity to see actors, including Eastwood and Janssen, on their way up the career ladder; indeed, three years later Hyer would receive a Best Supporting Actress nomination for SOME CAME RUNNING (1958). Janssen, incidentally, also appears in the final film in the Francis series in a different role.

FRANCIS IN THE NAVY was directed by Arthur Lubin from a story and script by Devery Freeman. The movie runs 80 minutes.

The FRANCIS IN THE NAVY Blu-ray is from a brand-new 2K master. As with the other Francis movies, the black and white photography by Carl E. Guthrie is quite ordinary, but the Blu-ray itself looks and sounds great.

The disc includes a newly mastered trailer and a commentary track by Lee Gambin and Anthony Nelson.

Previous reviews in this set: FRANCIS (1950), FRANCIS GOES TO THE RACES (1951), FRANCIS GOES TO WEST POINT (1952), FRANCIS COVERS THE BIG TOWN (1953), and FRANCIS JOINS THE WACS (1954).

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

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The atomic era sci-fi film ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1958) was released on Blu-ray last month by the Warner Archive.

I've only been watching '50s sci-fi films for the last dozen years or so, and this was a title on my "watch" list I'd not yet caught up with -- and what better way than on a pristine widescreen Blu-ray?

The film is somewhat less sensational than its famous publicity poster, seen on the Blu-ray case, but it's still a fairly compelling 65 minutes.

Unhappily married Nancy Fowler Archer (Allison Hayes) is driving on a remote road when a "satellite" blocks her path and she's threatened by a giant hand extending toward her. (As an aside, this kind of scene would have given me nightmares as a child and is a reason I didn't start watch sci-fi until relatively recently!)

Given Nancy's past alcoholism and mental issues, no one believes her story, including her unfaithful husband Harry (William Hudson), who Nancy continues to love despite his infidelity with roadhouse floozy Honey Parker (Yvette Vickers). Harry wants to run off with Honey but first there's the matter of Nancy's fortune...

Harry sees the possibility of being able to lock Nancy up in a sanitarium and decides to return to the desert with her, thinking he can prove she's nuts, only for them to have a run-in with the "satellite." Harry runs away, so shaken he wants to flee town immediately, while Nancy mysteriously ends up on top of her mansion pool house. She's diagnosed with possible radioactive contamination and next thing you know, she's a 50-foot woman, who's hunting for Harry and Honey...

While ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN isn't on a par with my favorite '50s sci-fi films, in terms of either story or special effects, it's still an interesting little movie. An Allied Artists film which appears to have been done on a fairly small budget, it moves quickly and has a sympathetic lead in Hayes' Nancy, whose money hasn't bought her happiness.

Hudson is appropriately sleazy as Harry, while Vickers comes close to stealing the show as the bubbly, openly greedy Honey, who might be willing to contemplate murder in order to have access to Nancy's millions. George Douglas and Frank Chase are also memorable as the sheriff and his deputy.

Some of the story aspects are pretty silly, but in an endearing way, such as two doctors consulting each other and planning to carry out some kind of surgery to save giant Nancy, but without bringing in anyone else to help with this most unusual problem. The nurse (Eileen Stevens) accepting a delivery of supplies including an "elephant syringe" is pretty amusing as well.

The movie picks up speed as it goes, though curiously, Nancy's long-awaited rampage is but a brief section at the end of the movie. A couple of the shots, including giant Nancy looking for her hubby through the roadhouse window, are classic.

The movie was directed by Nathan Juran from a script by Mark Hanna. The widescreen black and white photography by Jacques R. Marquette is fairly pedestrian, but the print couldn't be better.

The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray disc extras consist of the trailer and an older commentary track by Tom Weaver and Yvette Vickers; Vickers passed away in 2010 or 2011, which is kind of a wild story in itself...

While not top-drawer '50s sci-fi, ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN is nonetheless memorable, and fans of the genre will doubtless want to add this new release to their collections.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

Tweet

Tonight's Movie: A Woman's Vengeance (1948) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Time for another Dark Side of Cinema review!

A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE is part of the Dark Side of Cinema XI Collection, released a little over a month ago by Kino Lorber. The other films in the set are I WAS A SHOPLIFTER (1950), which I enjoyed at the Noir City Fest several years ago and look forward to revisiting, and BEHIND THE HIGH WALL (1956).

A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE was a first-time watch for me, and I thought it was excellent.

The movie has a well-constructed, literate script by Aldous Huxley, based on his own story "The Gioconda Smile." It tells the tale of Henry Maurier (Charles Boyer), who's unhappily married to Emily (Rachel Kempson), a whiny invalid.

Charles is not a particularly good man, keeping a very young mistress named Doris (Ann Blyth) on the side...but is he a murderer? That is the question when Emily suddenly dies. Her nurse (Mildred Natwick) is suspicious, especially when Henry promptly marries Doris, who proves to be in the family way very quickly.

Henry and Emily's longtime neighbor Janet (Jessica Tandy), who has long carried a torch for Henry, is shocked as well. In fact, she's so shocked by Henry's marriage and subsequent murder trial that she can't sleep nights...and the neighborhood doctor (Cedric Hardwicke), who believes Henry is innocent, starts to have suspicions...

I found this a highly absorbing, well-acted 96 minutes. I've come to realize in recent months just how often Boyer played cads -- see my reviews of Kino Lorber's releases WHEN TOMORROW COMES (1939) and BACK STREET (1941) -- and this film takes full advantage of that.

Henry is clearly not an honorable person, but given his wife's disposition the viewer also feels sympathy for him. When he has a shrew of a wife waiting at home, what man could resist sweet young thing Doris staring up at him with gleaming, lovestruck eyes? Well, not Henry, that's for sure.

Blyth is particularly good as Henry's child bride; she was 29 years younger than Boyer and looks it, but as that's how the part is written, it works. Seeing the movie "cold," I was expecting Doris to be the second coming of Blyth's Veda from MILDRED PIERCE (1945), but she gradually reveals herself to be something else entirely.

Despite the disparity in their ages, both Henry and Doris have growing up to do, and they do it together in a most interesting way; I liked the way both characters evolved over time. It's also interesting to note that Blyth would star in a similar story in her later film THUNDER ON THE HILL (1951), which is also about a clock ticking closer to a date with the gallows.

Tandy is also good as the initially composed, upright neighbor; while Henry and Doris mature and become closer through tribulation, Tandy's previously steady Janet has a curiously hard time coping with events. The plot here may be a little obvious, requiring almost zero guesswork, but the real interest is in the performances and how things will ultimately unfold, so it works nonetheless.

Hardwicke is excellent as the widowed, world-weary doctor in the thick of things. My only complaint is that the film, and his role, ended just a bit too abruptly.

Also in the cast are John Williams, later known for Hitchcock's DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) and TO CATCH A THIEF (1955), plus Cecil Humphreys, Valerie Cardew, Hugh French, Patrick Aherne (brother of Brian), and Harry Cording.

The movie was produced and directed by Zoltan Korda for Universal Pictures. The black and white photography was by Russell Metty. Production values are tops all the way, with costumes by Orry-Kelly and a score by Miklos Rozsa.

The one odd thing is that the film is said to take place in 1931, and the fashions and hairstyles are very much of the 1940s.

The Kino Lorber print was digitally restored in 4K from the 35mm nitrate negative. Print and sound quality are excellent.

Disc extras consist of the movie trailer; two additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber; and a commentary track by Jason A. Ney.

I very much enjoyed this well-acted film, and I recommend it.

Along with the other movies in this set, I'll also be reviewing films from the Dark Side of Cinema X Collection, and I have a couple films left from previous Dark Side collections to review as well. (So many great releases, so little time...) At least four more Dark Side of Cinema sets will be released in 2023! What an abundance of film noir riches ahead thanks to Kino Lorber.

As the saying goes, "Watch this space."

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

Tweet