A great film noir. An exploration of evil, the mob mentality, the human animal, conflicts between family loyalty and doing the right thing, and the courageous hero facing down the ugly crowd; in presenting all of that it achieves some depth amidst the great nighttime scenarios. Excellent performances by Rogers, Cochran, and Reagan; an early and dramatic Doris Day role is also of interest. You may recall Street Car Named Desire as you watch the cultured older sister visiting her sister and the brute of a husband. There is above all the fascination of watching a 1951, a time well before the key events of the soon to arrive civil rights movement, depiction of the KKK as mass delusion and criminal fraud - homegrown terrorism... and only 35 years or so after the KKK's glorification in Birth of a Nation. It is notable that in this KKK film you will have a difficult time spotting any blacks; still a powerful indictment nonetheless. Don't miss it.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Family Jewels
(1965)
awful
24 February 2008
I have been giving Jerry Lewis a chance recently. He was great with Dean Martin in the 1950's TV show; there are many great moments in those. The French, or some of them, revere him. His movies alone, in the late fifties and sixties,however, do nothing for me. Family Jewels is one of the worst. If you ever see the Dick Cavett interview, you might sense a certain arrogance or pretentiousness, more than can be attributed to the situation of a star and the adoring interviewer . These solo films, written by, directed by, and starring Lewis, reflect a certain self-indulgence, that of a great clown who has lost sight of what's funny. Explore the early work and don't waste much time with the later.
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