brendangcarroll Reviews

The Plough and the Stars (1936)

Better than expected, poetic and visually striking

[8/10 · 18 July 2017]

Made as a follow up to the hugely successful THE INFORMER, John Ford's much maligned screen version of THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS has long been regarded as one of his worst films.

I finally saw this film tonight, thanks to the wonderful Talking Pictures TV Channnel here in England.

My Iriish-born father loathed this film because he said it was a travesty of O'Casey's play and just a Hollywood fiction of the Easter uprising.

Well I read all the reviews here expecting the worst.

But, I was amazed to watch a print of this film that bore NO relation to that described in the reviews posted here! There was no newsreel footage interpolated, no unfortunate added narration whatsoever and no extra footage by other directors to explain the marriage of Stanwyck & Foster's marriage! What gives? What I saw was obviously a genuine John Ford film, beautifully directed and photographed, with many of his trademark camera set ups, close ups and scene compositions. His usual flair for narrative and the many subtle visual trademarks did not indicate a hatchet job by RKO.

The whole thing had an understated poetic quality and the pace and fluidity were striking.

So what was I looking at? A pre-release print that had somehow survived in the UK but not in the RKO archives in LA? It was certainly no turkey and even Stanwyck impressed me - her lack of accent did not matter, because Ford (in this print at least) let her face do all the acting for her. And she was great! Barry Fitzgerald was clearly doing a warm up for his role in THE QUIET MAN, but the remaining Abbey Players were all fine and I believe acted large portions of O'Casey's dialogue intact. I do not have a copy of the play to make a comparison but will seek it out.

Una O'Connor showed what a fine dramatic actress she was in Ireland before she found fame in Hollywood. Even Preston Foster demonstrated an impressive restraint and was highly impressive.

Ford did not have Max Steiner for this film (as he had on THE INFORMER and THE LOST PATROL) but Roy Webb did a fine job with a highly dramatic and vivid music score throughout.

But what of the source print? Are there really two extant versions of this film? If so, I think I watched the long lost "Director's Cut" tonight! How exciting!

Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

Disappointing and overlong

[4/10 · 8 July 2017]

Even though I am not a fan of this turkey, I decided to watch it again the other evening to see if it had improved.

I remember so well, how disappointed and short-changed I had felt when I first saw this, about 50 years ago. Having seen and enjoyed THE GREAT ZIEGFELD, I was looking forward to seeing MGM provide some even more spectacular musical numbers for this supposed sequel.

How wrong I was! I have never been impressed by the YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM number, though I love Tony Martin's rendition of the song. He is referred to as a tenor by several people in this film, but he was actually a high baritone with a fabulous voice and was one of the great song stylists of the era.

But Berkeley's staging of this number is so uninventive and the final, long-awaited pull-back, reveals one of the dullest sets ever built ( oh, that ugly staircase - come on MGM, surely you can do better than that?) it is a total let-down.

On the plus side, Judy is bright and bursting with talent, Hedy looks her most divine and the supporting cast is full of old favourites (Eve Arden, Edward Everett Horton, Charles Winninger, Rose Hobart and a young but surprisingly good, Dan Dailey) with only the 20 year old Lana Turner totally out of her depth with the demanding role of a chorus girl sliding into alcoholism, prostitution and ruin.

However, what really made me feel cheated 50 years ago - and still does today - was the cheapskate, cost-cutting rehash of the best musical numbers from the earlier THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936) standing in as the cut-price grand finale.

When I first saw the film, I kept with it for over two hours because I felt sure MGM was surely saving the best until last, for an eye popping finale. I was not amused to then spot all the clips rehashed from the earlier film, to say nothing of the lame mix of new footage with Judy Garland dressed and bewigged to resemble Virginia Bruce, before dissolving to the original footage of the MELODY number, but with a new soundtrack using YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM. Surely nobody was fooled back in 1941? As others have commented, maybe the money ran out or L B Mayer said that enough had been spent so corners must be cut. The other more likely explanation is that none of the production team - or Mr Berkeley - could come up with anything that could top the sheer amazing lavishness of the earlier "Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" number, so they resorted to this re-edited reprise instead.

In fact, when one thinks about it, nobody else has ever come up with anything to top that incredible number, in the 80 years since it was filmed (at the then staggering cost of %250,000 - almost $5 million in today's money, for a number lasting just 15 minutes) So, what we get here are 132 minutes of soapy melodrama, a few good musical moments (mostly Judy's) and some over the top costumes. And by the way, I do not agree with other reviewers here that filming this in Technicolor would have improved matters.

I doubt I shall ever sit through it all again.

We're Not Dressing (1934)

A strange hodge podge with some nice songs

[6/10 · 22 April 2017]

I hadn't seen this strange hodgepodge of a film for about 40 years and finally caught up with it again on DVD.

All of the ingredients and defects that irritated me the first time around were just as irritating the second - the pet bear (a "joke" that long outstays its welcome) Leon Errol's drunk act and the tedious Burns and Allen shtick that is frequently dropped into the film without any relationship to the story - while the good parts still pleased me, namely Carole Lombard's winsome beauty and charm, and the lovely songs by Gordoon and Revel, which are not always presented to their best advantage but are very catchy nonetheless.

However, one thing I had not noticed 40 years ago on first viewing but which is worthy of mention, is that Mr Crosby sings "live" on set for most of the film and the orchestra is clearly on the soundstage, accompanying him and also most of the action.

This must have been one of the very last musical films to be shot in this way, without playback and lip-synchronisation (only perfected in 1933), which would soon become the industry norm.

So, this is a curio for that reason and also interesting in that we can more accurately assess Crosby's vocal skills and his way of performing and phrasing a song at this stage of his career - rather well, on this evidence.

Poor Ethel Merman is totally wasted but I read elsewhere here that her big number was cut and re-used in the later BIG BROADCAST of 1936. Her best film was yet to come - Alexander's RAGTIME BAND, where she lights up the screen every time she comes on to belt out another Irving Berlin hit.

Back to this film - its one saving virtue is its length - a crisp 74 minutes, which means that no matter how tiresome the comedy becomes (and it does, believe me), it isn't too long to wait before Bing sings yet another lovely song. The DVD print is in pretty good shape too.

The Loves of Madame Dubarry (1935)

A Forgotten Gem

[8/10 · 20 December 2016]

I have finally seen this film thanks to the recent DVD release by STUDIO CANAL of a fabulously pristine archive print (perhaps the only one extant?) of what is a rarely-seen film operetta, and what a delightful surprise it was.

Gitta Alpar is well known to record collectors as one of the most remarkable singers of the late 1920s, and a worthy partner of Richard Tauber, Joseph Schmidt and Marcel Wittrisch among other great tenors, yet her few films are almost impossible to see.

This one, made in Great Britain in 1935, is possibly her best and is an effective and imaginative film treatment of Karl Millocker's Die Dubarry, a popular operetta from the late 1870s and perhaps the only work for which he is known today.

Alpar had starred in a new, revised stage version of the work prepared by Theo Mackeben with music from the original work, "Gräfin Dubarry", as well as other works, and a new text was written by Paul Knepler, Ignaz Michael Welleminsky and E. M. Cremer. This was first given at the Admiralspalast Theater in Berlin on 14 August 1931 and formed the basis for the film version, retaining the new script with additional dialogue by Kurt Siodmak (brother of director Robert Siodmak and later creator of some of Universal's greatest horror films including THE WOLF MAN in 1941). Theo Mackeben was the musical director for this film, adapting his 1931 stage score.

Unusually, this was not an English-language version of a pre-existing German film but an entirely original work. However because Alpar was Jewish, it was never released in Germany, which was by then subject to Nazi racial laws.

The film itself is a highly elaborate and faithful production and gives perhaps the most vivid representation of Mme Alpar's gifts.

However, it is also clear why she did not go on to enjoy further success in British films because her heavy Hungarian accent and idiosyncratic English pronunciation make much of her dialogue difficult to understand.

Her singing on the other hand recorded very well and post-dubbed to her mostly accurate lip-synchronisation, and is truly exceptional.

Varnel's direction is fluid and imaginative, the sets and costumes lush and elaborate and the photography (by Claude Friese Greene) is luminous and shows Alpar to considerable advantage.

As a filmed operetta, it stands up well and bears comparison to those by Tauber made contemporaneously, which begs the question - why did no one think to pair Alpar with Tauber in a film? Both were under contract to ATP at the same time! The supporting cast (with the exception of Owen Nares) is largely forgotten today but provides effective characterisations.

The film moves along at a swift pace and all of the hit numbers of the stage work are present.

Alpar had a tragic career end.

Her husband, German matinée idol Gustav Frohlich (famous today for starring in METROPOLIS), who was keen to curry favour with Goebbels, agreed to divorce his Jewish wife and so she (with their daughter) left for exile in England.

When this film failed at the box office, she made a few more films (all of which also failed to ignite any interest) and she subsequently moved to Hollywood where (apart from a small cameo where she is barely seen, in "The Flame of New Orleans" (1942, starring her old friend Marlene Dietrich, who insisted she be hired) she made no more films and was effectively forced into premature retirement.

She spent the rest of her life as a singing teacher, dying in Los Angeles in 1991 at the age of 91.

This long forgotten gem shows what a glittering talent she was and is highly recommended.

Murder, She Wrote: Sing a Song of Murder (1985) Season 2, Episode 5

Such a funny "fake" London setting

[10 December 2016]

I catch this episode all the time on re-runs and it always makes me laugh. In spite of the fact that MSW was such a big success, the budget clearly didn't run to any real location filming so....the studio recreated London on the back-lot.

As usual, The Palace of Westminster and especially BIG BEN and ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL are added (as glass shots or matte paintings) whenever possible to make sure the audience doesn't forget where we are supposed to be. Isn't it amazing how it's possible to see these world famous buildings no matter where in London one happens to be.....

Others have commented on the wretched accents. All I will add is that Ms Lansbury has clearly lived in America for far too long, as she just cannot bring her old British accent back, no matter how hard she tries.

Great fun though, all the same.

Bond Street (1948)

A Time Capsule with many famous faces

[5/10 · 12 November 2016]

I finally caught up with this film again on the recent, excellent DVD from Network, not having seen it since the late 1960s when it was shown on ITV.

It is not a great film by any means. The main reason for watching it today is the glimpse of fashionable Bond Street just after the war when it was still its Victorian self (today it's almost unrecognisable) and for the stream of famous British character actors, some credited but many not.

Roland Young came back from Hollywood for this and is as dapper and amusing as ever. He died 5 years later, much too soon, aged just 65.

Portmanteau films were (as others point out on this board) very popular in the 1940s. I believe the first one, TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942) which spawned the cycle, may have given Anatole DE Grunwald the idea for BOND ST. In the earlier TALES, the stories are all strung together by the fate of a formal evening suit and the people that own it. Its all-star cast included Edward G Robinson in one of his most subtle performances.

BOND STREET uses a wedding trousseau in much the same manner, but it cannot compete with a starry cast.

Yet it's still very entertaining and the location shots as I say, are quite wonderful.

The scene in the posh restaurant where, thanks to wartime rationing still being in force, only fish cakes are on the menu, is priceless.

A wallow in nostalgia that is well worth a look!

The Rat (1937)

On DVD at last and worth the wait!

[7/10 · 15 June 2015]

At long last, the BFI has restored the surviving elements for this rare British talkie and it has been released on DVD http://networkonair.com/shop/2169-rat-the-5027626430641.html The main reason for watching the film is Anton Walbrook who gives a wonderful performance (as always) in the title character. Ruth Chatteron left Hollywood to make this, but it was to prove her penultimate film. At one point she says her age is 34 when in fact she was ten years older in real life.

At 70 minutes, the pace is brisk and there are some well-known faces in the supporting cast.

Well worth getting this one - a rare little gem.

Brother Orchid (1940)

Religious confusion!

[9/10 · 8 February 2014]

First, let me assure everyone - I love this movie. It's a slick, funny and beautifully paced and acted comedy-drama, with a matchless cast and one of Heinz Roenheld's most tuneful scores (Roemheld is woefully under- rated IMHO and unjustly forgotten).

However, there is one curious thing about this movie and (Spoiler Alert) it concerns the plot twist that finds the resolutely Jewish Edward G Robinson holed up in (of all places) a Monastery, and eventually eschewing a life of crime to join the Order! I note that no mention of Jesus Christ nor is any Christian imagery shown on set - unusual for a monastery, especially in a Hollywood movie.

Of course Edward G is such a great actor and Warner's stock company play so beautifully together, one hardly notices the inconsistency, but my oh my, it's a rum do!

Robinson was so versatile. The same year he made this, he also made Dr Ehrlich's Magic Bullet and The Sea Wolf (the latter is undoubtedly his finest role and performance - will it ever appear on DVD?). And here, in Brother Orchid, he shows that he's a master of comic timing. Check out his marvellous double- takes during the car ride with Ann Sothern and Ralph Bellamy. He was top of his game and was always underestimated by Hollywood. The DVD of this gem is a beauty - the print looks like it was never out of the vault, so clear and sharp. Don't believe other reviewers on here - this one is a Warner classic.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

A remarkable achievement

[10/10 · 27 October 2013]

Considering that RKO was not renowned for epic film making, the production mounted for this version of Victor Hugo's classic story is surprisingly elaborate and effective.

The Paris set is a beautiful creation and possibly the greatest work by Van Nest Polglase, who with the producer Pan Berman is chiefly remembered today for the elegant art-deco designs for the Astaire-Rogers musicals.

The centrepiece of this remarkable set is the replica of Notre Dame cathedral which was only built to 50% height of the original; the towers above were added as an optical effect by use of a hanging miniature in some shots and by incorporating a glass painting in long shots. It's very convincing.

Dieterle was the perfect choice to direct this story. A student (and later collaborator) of Max Reinhardt, he marshals the huge crowd scenes (no CGi here - those thousands of peasants are all real people) with aplomb and his mastery of expressionistic imagery informs every frame.

Alfred Newman brought an intelligence to the musical score rare in Hollywood. His on screen credit "Musical adaptation and original composition by" reflects his skillful combining of original renaissance choral music by Tomas Luis de Victoria with his own work. He also uses a stirring Hallelujah chorus by uncredited Austrian Jewish émigré Ernst Toch (in Hollywood to escape the Nazis) for the memorable scene where Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda, reprised at the film's closing sequence as the camera pulls back from Notre Dame.

It's a great pity that a better restoration cannot be achieved for this beautiful film than is currently available on DVD. While the source print is serviceable, it is often poorly defined and suffers from many scratches. Perhaps it is the only print now extant? I would also love to see the original trailer rather than the re-release version.

While some may wish Basil Rathbone could have been released from contract at Universal to play Frollo, I think Cedric Hardwicke was ideal casting. As for Laughton, this may well be his signature role and a masterly example of great acting with hardly any dialogue at all.

As Mr Sinatra once said - "You can wait around and hope - but you won't see the likes of this again"

We Live Again (1934)

An interesting curio

[5/10 · 20 October 2013]

I finally caught up with this film on DVD and it provoked a lot of questions that merit further research into its production history. I can easily see why it was such a box office flop, despite its high production values, luminous photography and fine cast. Although Goldwyn hired a slew of heavyweight writers (Maxwell Anderson and Preston Sturges among them) the script frequently gets bogged down in preachy rhetoric and as others have noted here, pro Communist theory. Anna Sten is extremely photogenic but her acting style is so emotive, I wondered if she believed she was appearing in a silent film. Frederic March gave a beautiful performance in contrast. The most interesting aspect of the film is its treatment of casual sex and illegitimacy, both taboo subjects under the soon to be enforced Production Code. I'm sure this film was never reissued after 1934 for that content and also its very left wing undercurrent, which may explain why the DVD print was in such remarkable shape. The supporting cast (as always in such films of the period) makes it a joy to watch. It is fascinating to compare with THE SCARLET EMPRESS (released the same year) and ANNA KARENINA (1935) An interesting curio and worth seeing.

The Constant Nymph (1943)

Lost Masterwork of Romantic Cinema Finally Re-released

[23 October 2011]

After more than half a century of being withdrawn from circulation, this ripe example of romantic film making in the best high style that was so typical of Warner Bros' output in the 1940s, has finally been set free from copyright limbo by the TCM Lawyers, following a financial settlement with the heirs of Margaret Kennedy (author of the novel on which the film is based) and Basil Dean (the film director who co-authored the play with her, another key source for the screenplay).

Finally released for television last month (though only in the USA) it will soon make its long awaited debut on DVD. Was it worth the wait? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes.

The story (recounted by others here, so I won't weary you with another resume) inspired cast, director and especially the composer, to a rare degree and while the film retains obvious links to its stage origins and has a stylised, often unrealistic look, this approach suits the material eminently.

While the plot revolves around a curious triangle between a neurotic composer (Boyer) a worldly and wealthy woman (Smith) and a teenage girl (Fontaine) it has a subordinate agenda that most reviewers miss entirely.

Few are aware that Erich Wolfgang Korngold campaigned for this film and became closely involved in its production, even to the extent of influencing script development. Originally, he wanted Lewis Dodd to write a simple love song that would eventually develop into a romantic opera, but that idea was dropped, probably due to cost. It was replaced by a climactic transformation into a symphonic poem for mezzo soprano, wordless women's chorus and large orchestra.

Korngold kept the notion of an evolving musical work and made the battle between romanticism and dissonant modernity a key element that parallels the battle for the composer's soul, fought between the simple heart of the constant nymph with the cold, brittle modern woman played by Alexis Smith.

Korngold felt the battle between atonality and dissonance and more direct romanticism very keenly in his own life and relished the chance to create a score where romanticism triumphed.

The musical sequences are outstanding and when Sanger (Montagu Love) or Lewis Dodd (Boyer) play the piano, that is Korngold himself we hear on the soundtrack.

The elaborate Swiss mountain set incorporating the Sanger home was constructed on Warner's largest sound stage and was subsequently redressed to become the Yorkshire moors for the film DEVOTION, a risible biopic of the Brontes, made shortly afterwards and which was originally intended for Fontaine and her sister Olivia De Havilland. In the event, only De Havilland appeared - Fontaine preferred to make JANE EYRE at Fox instead.

CONSTANT NYMPH is enlivened by some familiar faces in the cast, including Peter Lorre, who is largely wasted, and Charles Coburn as an irascible Uncle - a part better suited to Sydney Greenstreet, who presumably wasn't available.

The finale, presenting Korngold's lush symphonic poem TOMORROW, is nicely done and the mezzo soprano seen on stage is actually Clemence Groves, a local Los Angeles concert singer who is also heard on the soundtrack and was the wife of George Groves, a key sound dept technician at Warners.

Those who are eagle-eyed will spot a poster for Korngold's legendary opera Die tote Stadt on the wall of Sanger's study, that is clearly visible in the scene early in the film between Dodd and Sanger, and placed on the wall by the film's associate producer Henry Blanke as a tribute to his friend Korngold, who didn't even notice it until told of the gesture at the film's premiere.

This is a one-of-a kind film that is unlikely to be remade. It's well worth seeing and has a hypnotic appeal that bears repeated viewing.

A Dispatch from Reuters (1940)

Vintage Warner Biopic with great score

[8 September 2011]

I saw this again the other night after many years and was impressed at how entertaining it was. It moves at a cracking pace (so typical of Warner Bros style) and has a great cast of fine character actors (especially Albert Bassermann, Nigel Bruce and Otto Kruger) supporting Edward G Robinson in the title role, who gives a nicely understated performance.

The telescoping of events and the dramatic license with facts are to be expected in a film from this period, and in the main, the film presents a stirring account of how the transmission of news grew in the 19th century. Some reviewers here criticise Warners for not mentioning Reuter's conversion from Judaism to Christianity but anyone thinking a Hollywood studio would tackle such a complex subject in 1940 is expecting far too much. The direction by Dieterle is first rate and the pace is brisk, with the hand of Hal Wallis very obvious in the snappy editing and excision of any superfluous material.

Much was made on the historical accuracy of the sets such as the London Stock exchange) and certainly, the recreation of the House of Commons in London while smaller than the real thing, looked very convincing.

There is much else to enjoy here if you are a movie buff of Warner films from this period. When Reuter & Max are walking through the city near the beginning, we see many of the famous standing sets on the Warner back-lot at the time, including :- the Casa di Bonnyfeather and canal at Leghorn (built for Anthony Adverse): the large church structure built circa 1930, with the pillars & big flight of steps that featured in so many films including The Roaring 20s (Cagney dies on those steps at the end) and Deception (Bette Davis runs up those steps at the beginning) and we even see the large Nottingham Castle Gate with portcullis built for The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1937. Some of these sets were still standing as late as 1975! Above all, there is Max Steiner's terrific score. This tale clearly resonated in him and he produces one of his most arresting and dramatic works, with a superbly heraldic Main Title which reappears throughout at key points of the story, and also Steiner's most gorgeous waltz (for Reuter's wife played by the lovely and underrated Edna Best) that betrays his Viennese background. Steiner's score for REUTER cries out for a modern recording, yet few ever mention it when discussing his work for films.

I think it is one of his finest, the equal to Now Voyager, All This & Heaven Too and Big Sleep. If the film were shown more, maybe it would be noticed by the CD companies.

So, while this may not be the greatest of the Warner bio-pics, it is certainly unjustly overlooked. Let us hope it reaches DVD soon.

Humoresque (1946)

Exquisitely filmed soap opera with superb musical sequences

[7 August 2011]

In the mid 1940s, Hollywood suddenly got the classical music bug and a whole string of lush melodramas were made, among them Columbia's 'A Song to Remember' (a risible biopic of Chopin with Cornel Wilde and Merle Oberon that, in one famous scene, gave Liberace his entire act), MGM's 'Song of Love' (a biopic of Schumann with Robert Walker and Katherine Hepburn) and 'Carnegie Hall' (a film about the famous hall with a dumb plot, stuffed with cameos from the musical greats of the day which is its chief value now).

The two best films of the cycle however,'Deception' and 'Humoresque' were made at Warner Brothers, almost simultaneously, and starring those arch rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford respectively. Warners had by far the best and most interesting music department in Hollywood then, with (at this time) the three titans of film music working there - Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Franz Waxman. Max superbly handled the Warner biopics of Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue 1945) and Cole Porter (Night and Day 1946), Korngold did a superb job on'Deception' and Waxman was in charge for this film.

HUMORESQUE is a remarkable example of a film treatment that transcends its material. I won't repeat the many deficiencies in plot and story development that others have noted in their reviews here. They must have been clichéd even in 1946.

What makes this film eminently watchable is the wonderful direction and cinematography that richly showcases a New York that no longer exists (and that was recreated in Burbank with aplomb!) and which presents the stars of the film in some of the most erotic and sumptuous photography of the era.

Some shots must have taken hours to set up and light properly. Check out the moment at Helen Wright's party early in the film ["She's as complex as a Bach fugue"], where she meets Paul Boray for the first time ("Bad manners Mr Boray: the infallible sign of talent").

After he insults her and launches into Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Flight of the Bumble Bee', she walks off in a temper, to the bar, to pour herself yet another brandy and as she holds the large brandy glass in her hand, Ernest Haller somehow allows us to see Boray directly through the glass with both Garfield and the glass in perfect focus. It's an astonishing shot, an obvious visual metaphor to be sure, showing how Mrs Wright wishes to control Boray from now on - but, what a stunning effect!

Negulesco is equally inventive and manages some very deft combinations of sound-stage and location footage, especially at Wright's beach house. He also films the musical sequences wonderfully well, ably convincing us that Garfield is really playing, borrowing the trick (from 'Deception' being shot on adjoining stages) of using two real musicians out of camera shot for the fingering and bowing and even Isaac Stern himself for close ups of the left hand.

The music is superbly performed and recorded, and the repertoire is well chosen. That applies not only to the classics. Peg La Centra's contribution, singing great standards of the 1930s and early 40s, is so evocative, one really wants to go to Teddy's Bar right away, for a large Martini. I bet he made a good one.

The finale of the film borrows from that of 'A Star is Born' but elevates the whole suicide idea to an extravagant degree. According to an interview Negulesco gave late in life (that appears in a book called 'The Celluloid Muse') the idea to use the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, (transcribed for violin), was actually Oscar Levant's and annoyed Franz Waxman, who had other ideas. In the end, he acquiesced and produced a stunning transcription that works extremely well as a concert work.

Stern never commercially recorded it (unlike the Carmen Fantasie, another gem from this score) but his performance on the soundtrack is outstanding. What a pity no original optical track survives in the Warner vaults.

With its ripe dialogue, a great supporting cast, some of the most voluptuous photography in any 1940s film and a fabulous musical soundtrack, HUMORESQUE repays repeated viewings and is a classic of its kind.

It's the kind of film that could not be made today - but let us be grateful that once upon a time in Hollywood, there was the talent around that could make it, .....and very well indeed.

The Unsuspected (1947)

Remarkable example of Hollywood Expressionist Cinema

[9/10 · 26 June 2011]

In 1947, Michael Curtiz set up his own production unit at Warner Bros.

The deal he struck saw this versatile director being allowed to choose his own projects and not merely be assigned films as a house director, while at the same time enjoying the full production facilities of the studio. This film was the first project of what was sadly a short-lived arrangement, chiefly because box office returns on this film were so disappointing.

The script peppered with snappy one-liners and wisecracks particularly for Audrey Totter and Constance Bennett, was by Ranald MacDougall from an adaptation by Curtiz' wife Bess Meredyth of a dime novel by Charlotte Armstrong. MacDougall had previously done the witty screenplay for the superb noir classic, MILDRED PIERCE in 1945 (also directed by Curtiz) and his gift for tart dialogue made the role of Eve Arden in that film especially memorable.

It is likely that Curtiz envisioned the story of THE UNSUSPECTED as the perfect vehicle for Claude Rains, an actor he had worked with frequently before (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Four Daughters, The Sea Hawk, Casablanca etc) and who was renowned for his distinctive, memorable voice. Victor Grandison is a famous radio star because of the hypnotic power of his voice in relating his celebrated true life crime stories and it would be difficult to imagine another actor in the role, save possibly for Basil Rathbone.

The story is complex and not entirely believable, and has several plot holes. The most serious concerns the first murder. If Grandison is able to catch an earlier train because he has used a recording of his broadcast and not performed "live", surely his so-called alibi would have been exposed by colleagues at the radio station - especially his secretary (Constance Bennett)? This is never explained.

No matter. What makes this thriller so eminently watchable are the delicious ingredients lavished on the telling - especially the superb art direction by Anton Grot who would have undoubtedly story-boarded the many memorable images as was his practise - and the distinctive camera-work of Woody Bredell.

Between them, Grot, Curtiz and Bredell bring a Germanic, expressionistic style to almost every scene and there are some amazing trick shots that must have taken days to light properly. Check out the remarkable scene near the end where, as kindly Grandison reassures his niece that all will be well, a wine glass with fizzing content is in close-up and sharp focus and we then realise it has been poisoned by Grandison.

Add to this virtuosity of film making, a beautifully atmospheric score by Franz Waxman, a fascinating cast and a star turn by Claude Rains and this overlooked gem is in a class of its own.

I have never understood why Curtiz is so under-rated. I would know his style within a few shots. His fluid camera, always roving and engaging with the action and the characters, makes CASABLANCA the classic it is and is why we always feel we have really been to Rick's café.

THE UNSUSPECTED is so enjoyable because of Curtiz holding our interest through sheer visual flair and bears frequent repeat viewing. Its weaknesses are quite forgivable when one considers its many pleasures.

Lady Jane (1986)

Chocolate-box drivel wastes some great talent

[3/10 · 24 June 2011]

Trevor Nunn may be a great theatre director but he cannot make movies. Just why he decided to make this turkey, I cannot imagine. Given that the actual true story of Lady Jane Grey is a fascinating example of political intrigue in Tudor England, it is all the more inexplicable that Nunn opts for a Woman's Own version of the tale complete with syrupy music that lurches in style from faux 16th century to 1980s muzak.

Historical accuracy goes out the window and suddenly the 15 year old Jane and her slightly older husband Guildford Dudley are transformed into young lovers cast in the 'Romeo & Juliet' mould. The pace is leaden, and at almost 2 and a half hours, the film is overly long. Beautiful photography and many historic locations aside, the best ingredient is the wonderful supporting cast drawn from some of the finest acting talent in the British Isles.

Of course (as can be judged from most of the comments here) the Americans loved it and perhaps it was made for the US market? The recent, equally risible TV series THE TUDORS was made for America too - given that English history is not a strong point across the pond.

It was a failure on release and Nunn has not made a major film since.

Thank goodness!

The Spanish Main (1945)

Second Rate Swashbuckler

[5/10 · 14 May 2011]

Paul Henreid apparently wanted his home studio Warner Brothers to make this, but in 1944, that studio was firmly committed to making large -scale war films, and besides, its number one star was Errol Flynn who was (and is) THE swashbuckler. So Henreid took it to RKO and, through a contractual sleight of hand, negotiated his release from Warners to make it at this normally low-budget studio. He should not have bothered.

The main problem with the film is that its central role is miscast. Henreid is both too effete and a bit too old for the part, and next to Miss O'Hara (who as usual, looks ravishing in colour) rather bland and lifeless. He is also clearly doubled in some of the duels.

The music score by Hanns Eisler (a surprising choice) is gestural note-spinning with not one memorable theme to sweep us along. He should have watched The Sea Hawk and listened to Korngold's thrilling score to see how this should be done.

As usual, Walter Slezak effortlessly steal every scene he is in and is a delight. When he is not on screen, the film sags. No wonder he was cast in so many similar roles in the 1940s.

This was RKO's first colour film but most prints I have seen are very poor - either faded, or overly gaudy as a result of the three-strip technicolor separations becoming unstable and running together. It is unlikely to be restored as I doubt the original elements survive.

The ingredients were all there but refused to gel somehow. Maybe if Jack Warner had said yes, it might have been better - and Korngold would have jumped at the chance I am sure! The supporting cast is full of familiar faces (J.M.Kerrigan, Jack La Rue, Curt Bois, Mike Mazurki, Antonio Moreno) and they provide some badly needed substance in this weak entry in the genre.

Reunion in Vienna (1933)

A Forgotten Gem

[10/10 · 20 April 2011]

I finally managed to acquire a copy of this almost forgotten film, chiefly because of my interest in John Barrymore. The film has never been shown on TV in Europe and is unavailable on video or DVD, so it was a delightful surprise to discover how very good it is.

1933 was perhaps John Barrymore's best year in films, just before the slide into alcoholism reduced him to infrequent supporting roles. As well as Reunion in Vienna, he made Topaze (another delightful film) Counsellor at Law (perhaps his greatest screen performance) and Dinner at 8 (a close second).

If you want proof of Barrymore's sheer star quality and presence, take a look at Reunion in Vienna. He dominates the screen in every scene he is in, and when he is on screen, it is difficult to look at anyone else. His wonderfully mellifluous voice is particularly well recorded in this film and his performance is so full of delightful details, and many ad lib physical touches, that one can see how superb he must have been on stage.

Equally surprising here is the subtle performance by Frank Morgan before his familiar bumbling, stammering persona took over almost every performance he gave at MGM. He was a much better actor than remembered today.

The supporting cast is a delight, although not populated by the many émigrés that would shortly arrive from Nazi Europe and become a regular part of Hollywood's scene. Compare this film with THE GREAT WALTZ (1938) to see what I mean.

As a result, the Hapsburg aristocrats are mostly played by Americans (the exception being Eduardo Cianelli who is genuinely touching, giving an excellent portrayal of a devoted servant to his old master).

The music score is credited to William Axt, even though it is really a pot-pourri of themes by Johann Strauss. The exception is a main theme which is a direct steal from Romberg's NEW MOON, then a fairly new work and filmed 2 years before by MGM with Grace Moore and Lawrence Tibbett. Possibly Dr Axt decided to borrow the waltz "One Kiss" and vary it slightly for this film.

As others point out here, the art direction is beautiful throughout and Ms Wynyard never looked more radiant.

In all, a delightful and superbly acted film that should be on DVD. Why isn't it? The print I have looks as if it has never left the vault in 80 years.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)

Dated, overrated and unfunny

[3/10 · 24 September 2010]

What a great disappointment this famous film turned out to be when I finally sat down to watch the DVD.

In spite of its impressive literary pedigree, remarkable cast and fine production values, it tries much too hard to be funny and likable. Maybe it's because I am British and not American that to me, this frantic farce seemed so desperately unfunny?

The main problem is with the central performance by Monty Woolley who may have been terrific in the stage version but whose 'hit the audience over the head' style doesn't really work on film. Every time he is about to deliver another bon mot, he draws himself up and tells us "Get ready!" before he even opens his mouth.

His delivery is also less than crisp and he often gabbles his lines. Originally Bette Davis hoped for John Barrymore in the role and it is a great pity that, by 1941, the Great Profile was an alcoholic wreck unable to memorise dialogue or withstand the frenetic demands of such a production. In his heyday, he would have eaten this up, and brought a manic quality to the role (think of his Oscar Jaffe in Twentieth Century, a part not dissimilar to Whiteside) He would also have been much more likable.

The rest of the cast are interesting, especially Davis who impresses by being able to suppress her familiar mannerisms and bring a presence to her scenes. However it was hardly a convincing romance between Davis and the colourless Mr Travis (another dull actor that Warners had high hopes for, similar to the vacuous Michael North a few years later).

Ann Sheridan does her best but seems out of her depth. Reginald Gardiner makes the most of his cameo as a Coward clone (though I was sorry that Cole Porter's song written for the stage version was dropped). Billie Burke reprises her usual dizzy matron act, and Grant Mitchell does his usual flustered, pompous father.

In spite of the gloss, the film irritates and tries far too hard, and the one-liners - though coming thick and fast - are just not very funny. The original trailer (also on the DVD) interestingly makes much of the Davis-Sheridan rivalry and even the soppy romance with barely a mention of the main plot strand at all. It also contains scenes not in the finished film!

No matter.This is a much over-rated film that does not bear repeated viewings.

Public Enemies (2009)

Overlong and Disappointing Gangsta-flick

[2/10 · 22 July 2009]

Sitting through this very long, tedious and meandering film I couldn't help think back to the gritty, rat-a-tat tat style of the genre's progenitors from Warner Brothers in the 1930s where pace and style ensured total audience involvement with both story and characters. Michael Curtiz would have shot this story in a crisp 100 minutes. But this is 2010 and a BIG picture must be well over two hours and have a budget of 100 million dollars - or it doesn't count.

It is not just the inflated length. As others here have noted, we do not really care much about Dillinger or any of the other characters in this romanticised take on historical events. The script is mostly one-dimensional and the clichés come thick and fast. Johnny Depp (a good actor capable of much better, if given the right material and well-directed) does his 'Jimmy Dean' frown and spends much of the film with a furrowed brow. Not for him the deeply penetrating character study of, say, Cagney's Cody Jarrett. Because, when it comes down to it, most of the effort in making this film went into the various bloody gun-battles all of which are staged magnificently.

Dramatically, however, the film is stagnant.

Many have observed the historical inaccuracies but for me, the dramatic license taken with chronology and actual facts would have been bearable if the film had achieved some impact. The huge amount spent on trying to capture the period also failed, largely through a complete failure to grasp the style and look of the early 30s. Hiring a lot of old cars does not achieve it and dressing the actors in period clothes is only effective if the rest fits too.

Dillinger's girlfriend looked as if she had just stepped off the set of 'Friends'. Her hair and her make up were totally wrong and not remotely reflective of the period. The glimpse we had of Myrna Loy in 'Manhattan Melodrama' proved it. In fact this was true of everyone else as well.

As for the music, yet again I wanted to scream by the end. The incidental score was so soporific and so unrelated to the action, it was as if somebody had put a CD on and left it playing. The so-called period music (especially that played in the nightclub scene near the beginning) was equally anachronistic - far too modern arrangements of songs from the era. This is inexcusable as the original arrangements from most of the great bands of that time still exist. The atmosphere was all wrong as result. (I kept thinking back to Ray Heindorf's brilliant use of period songs in the score to Raoul Walsh's 'The Roaring Twenties' back in 1939.)

So, here was yet another example of how Hollywood has lost the knack of doing this kind of film well. Inflated, overlong, overly violent, and obsessed with effects. Comic strip action for adults and a paper thin script that leaves one unmoved, unimpressed and unlikely to want to ever see it again.

One reviewer here said he is looking forward to the Director's Cut with some scenes restored.

Please God NO! 140 minutes of this were quite enough!

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

Monroe out-acts Olivier with ease

[7/10 · 16 July 2009]

Just saw this again the other day after many years, and was impressed by Monroe's effortless upstaging of Olivier, who gives the most hammy, artificial performance of his career, unsurprising as he is directing himself.

If you want to see what star quality means, just watch their scenes together. He is desperately trying to ACT and eclipse her. All she has to do is just BE there in shot.

Whenever they are on screen, it is always her that one's eyes are drawn to and she gives such a natural performance throughout it almost seems as if she isn't acting at all. She also copes with some extremely tricky dialogue, giving the lie to her inability to remember lines. These are often done in a single take - one scene in particular, early in the film as she is leaving the house before Olivier arrives home, talking rapidly to Richard Wattis as they walk down the long staircase, is outstanding.

So, the film is worthwhile in showing Monroe as the great star she was - and revealing Olivier to only be capable of mere caricature (that fake German accent is so awful) without a strong director to rein him in.

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Classic Unjustly Regarded as Inferior to the first two Frankenstein films

[9/10 · 11 December 2008]

I saw this fine old shocker again recently, thanks to the splendid DVD with its sparkling print, having not seen it for almost 3 decades. It is usually considered inferior to the two earlier James Whale films but I disagree.

There are many fine touches here from underrated director Rowland V Lee (who had a real flair for the Gothic) and the script and cast - with the exception of the most rebarbative child-actor in Hollywood - are truly exceptional.

Incident-packed, and with a number of iconic ingredients (Lionel Atwill's metal arm clicking among them) the film looks splendid, and as many comment here, benefits from some amazing sets and photography.

If the ending seems rather abrupt, that was probably because of the film's unusually generous running time. The music (drawing on earlier scores but also with new material composed by Frank Skinner) is also a major contributing factor to the overall atmosphere. Curiously, it was reused almost note for note in TOWER OF London - also starring Rathbone & Karloff, and directed by Lee that same year!

My favourite Universal epigram is in SON of FRANKENSTEIN. After arriving at Castle Frankenstein, Elsa remarks on the curious layout of the master bedroom. A solemn young maid intones the following, as one of the worst storms in any horror film reaches fever pitch, with thunder & lighting crashing outside the huge windows:-

"When the House if filled with dread... Place the Beds at Head to Head!"

Priceless!

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Why does the end of the world ONLY ever affect the USA in movies?

[2/10 · 16 July 2008]

Can somebody please explain to me why, in almost every 'disaster' movie, when the planet is threatened with extinction, the only viewpoint shown is American, the only government depicted is that of the USA and the only cities ravaged by 'special effects' are NYC & LA? I appreciate that these are Hollywood movies, but come on!

As for the film itself, which I watched on TV last night because there was little else on, I can only concur with others here, about the clichés, the pathetic 'coincidences', the ludicrous inconsistencies and the implausible plot twists. The only thing missing was a guitar-playing Nun! While I enjoyed some of the effects work, the script was beyond redemption and seemed to be aimed at kids under 7. In fact, that is doing the under 7s a great disservice.

I am sure however that George Dubya loved it...

Salome (1953)

An astonishing travesty even by Hollywood standards!

[1/10 · 21 July 2006]

Just saw this again on TV by chance and had forgotten how awful it is. I concur with all other commentators and would just add that of all the preposterous revisions of history in this film, the final scene showing Salome attending the Sermon on the Mount and listening to Christ (presumably being converted in the process!) is perhaps the most risible. I am surprised nobody noticed this ludicrous rewrite of the Bible. By the way, Laughton did this film so he could buy a Renoir painting he coveted. It must have been excruciating for him to act in such a Turkey. Poor Rita Hayworth is way too old for the part, Granger is as wooden as ever and Judith Anderson seems to be auditioning for the role of the Wicked Queen in "Snow White"; her use of that billowing cloak every time she walks up or down a staircase or leaves a room matches Disney's visual with astonishing accuracy. Dieterle should have been ashamed of himself after this one, but then, a year later he made MAGIC FIRE, a biography of Wagner also with the lame Mr Badel. If you can believe it, it is even worse!

The Ten Commandments (1956)

New DVD edition is a disappointment

[3/10 · 10 May 2006]

Let me begin by saying - I really love this movie - one of the greatest examples of old-style Hollywood film making that there is - and this review pertains ONLY to the new 50th Anniversary DVD.

Like many admirers of DeMille, I was delighted when this 50th Anniversary Edition appeared but then, profoundly disappointed with what it contains. This movie has had two previous DVD releases and to my eyes, the presentation here is not an improvement on earlier outings.

Unlike Warners magnificent restoration of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, GONE WITH THE WIND and WIZARD OF OZ (among others) which were digitally restored, frame by frame, Paramount has merely assembled the best archive print it can and remixed the soundtrack.

As for the "extras", surely a film which was in production & pre-production for almost 5 years & cost $13 million to make , had a ton of archive materials - photos, stills, memos, storyboards etc- that could have been included? Check out Disney's SNOW WHITE, or the Special Edition of CITIZEN KANE or the recent, marvellous KING KONG (1933 version) to see how it could have been done! Paramount are cheapskates by comparison.

As for the much vaunted 6 part documentary - this seemed very under-produced and cheaply done. Where was Debra Paget? Where was Nina Foch? Where was Yvonne De Carlo? All major players in the film and still very much alive! What great memories they would have had to share! Instead, we get an old, not very interesting interview with Heston (rehashing his oft-told anecdotes) and two minor bit-part players (one, Eugene Mazzola who played Ramses son, offers little as he was only 12 at the time!).

And what about Clint Walker? Every time he makes an appearance as a guard (which is often), we are told this by the irritating commentator, as though it was some momentous event - well, if so, why didn't they interview him? He's a nice guy & loves talking about his career.

So, Paramount, I am giving the DVD set just 3 stars but only because it is good to finally have the rarely seen silent version available at last. But given the fact that De Mille's own private archive is extensive and comprehensive I am surprised that the De Mille Estate was not more fully involved in this.

Of course the movie itself is still astonishing. REAL extras - no computer generated hordes. Full scale sets, costumes to die for, outrageous over the top acting, a full blown score in the Korngold manner, luscious photography with De Mille's remarkable eye for filling the screen with memorable images. How terrific it would be to see the film full restored digitally before its original negatives deteriorate. Will this happen? I doubt it.

Three DVDs of one movie in a matter of 8 years seems to me to be milking the cow without any effort and I ask you, how many times will fans buy a DVD of this title? I am wondering - will there be a Super Collectors' Edition next year? If so, I hope it's an improvement on this!

A great opportunity missed! Do others agree?

Oliver Twist (2005)

A Totally Unnecessary Remake

[2/10 · 9 January 2006]

With the greatest respect to posters from America (who all think this film reflects the book and typical 19th century London), I am afraid Polanski is so totally wide of the mark in interpreting Dickens and recreating 19th century London that I am not really surprised at the very low impact this film has made at the box office.

So much is wrong with the film stylistically. As IMDb contributor Hellmao has pointed out in his review, the streets of London look like a film set. 19th century London was a filthy place, largely because adequate sewerage & street cleaning were not in place until the late 1890s. The place stank, and so did the people. Who researched the period for Polanski? They should return their fee forthwith!

Lack of any period nuance is not the only problem.

The workhouse boys in Polanki's film all look too healthy, fat and clean! Given that this film was shot in Prague, surely the film company could have assembled the workhouse boys & Fagin's gang from the hordes of young street kids who loiter around every train station in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, begging & selling themselves? They would have been glad of a few dollars, not these "children's drama school" types!

It wasn't only the slums which were wrong. Brownlow's house looked like it had been erected in 2004 so clean & new was the brickwork, whereas it should have been a late Regency period dwelling. So much was artificial and though much was made of the fact that the largest set constructed for many years had been created in Prague, I wonder why they bothered?

To see a true representation of this great novel, and a brilliant reconstruction of Dicken's London, look no further than David Lean's masterly 1948 version, now available as a remastered DVD. It is the pluperfect example of how to adapt a classic novel for film.

Look at Lean's street urchins & workhouse boys - marvellous hand picked emaciated faces that will truly haunt you. Look at the superb scene in the pub "The Three Cripples" - one of the grimiest holes ever created for a movie.

Lastly, relish the superb musical score by Arnold Bax in Lean's film & compare it to the bland, repetitive & totally unmemorable MUSAC that accompanies Polanski's film. No wonder there is no Soundtrack album!

Mr Kingsley's noble contribution aside, this was a waste of time and money & a great opportunity missed.