March 2019 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN MARCH: 20
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 18
REWATCHES: 2
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 5
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Alan Ladd (4 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Bonita Granville (8 in total)
Pretty happy with the films I watched this month. Not so many at the film theater Filmoteca, only five films, but still very pleased with the opportunity to see them on the big screen: Four In a Jeep (with Viveca Lindfors and Ralph Meeker), It Came From Outer Space (with Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush and Charles Drake), Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (with Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo), Vertigo (with James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes) and Psycho (with Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and John Gavin).
I was happiest with the screenings of the two Hitchcock films. They were also the only rewatches this month. I watched Vertigo for the second time and what a great experience to see it on the big screen! The Bernard Herrmann score is so beautiful as well as the cinematography by Robert Burks and the film deserves to be shown enlarged and to be heard with the speakers at full blast. The performances are great all around, James Stewart is especially good during the confrontation scene with Kim Novak in the tower. I read a blog post dedicated to this film and it discusses obsession. It's indeed all about the characters being obsessed with one another: Stewart's Scottie with Novak's Madeleine, Novak's Madeleine with Carlotta Valdes, Novak's Judy with Stewart's Scottie, and also Barbara Bel Geddes' Midge with Stewart's Scottie. Required viewing! And if you have the chance, go and watch it at the theater!
I had seen Psycho a long time ago and it's still as good as I remembered. In my memory Janet Leigh's part was smaller but in fact she has plenty of screen time in the beginning of the film. Anthony Perkins really excels in his role and shows many different facets of his disturbed character. And there is a reason why Hitchcock is the Master of Suspense. Tension is perfectly built with great cinematography by John L. Russell and the terrific score by Bernard Herrmann. The only criticism I have is the campy ending in the cellar with the revelation of the skeleton and Norman Bates charging down the stairs in women's clothes and wig. It's almost laughable and not in line with the rest of the film.
I watched the obscure film Four In a Jeep on the big screen in a clear print. I had never heard of it before and was curious, as I'm not familiar with the history of post-WWII Vienna, occupied by the Allies. In this film four sergeants, each representing an occupying nation, patrol the city in a jeep and become involved with an Austrian woman whose husband has escaped a prison camp. Viveca Lindfors is a beautiful leading actress, looks a bit like Alida Valli, and also reminded me a bit of Ingrid Bergman, the way she talks. Ralph Meeker is a natural actor, I like him and I'm glad to see more of his films. I also really liked the French sergeant and his wife. The scene where the wife (played by Paulette Dubost) gives the French soldiers the grand tour around the apartment (to show them there's nobody hidden there) is quite funny. Noteworthy is also the beautiful cinematography by Emil Berna, very noirish at times. The homecoming scene at the station is beautifully photographed too. I was surprised how suspenseful the film was and how the ending was not predictable. Very glad I have seen this as it's difficult to get hold of.
NOTE: This was an interesting film language-wise. Seen this in the original version with Catalan subtitles, the spoken languages are German, English, French and Russian. The original subtitles provided are in French and German. I don't speak Catalan but fortunately I understand most of German and can read French (French subtitles were provided when Russian was spoken) so there was little of the dialogue lost on me.
I would probably never have seen the French classic film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) if it hadn't been shown on the big screen. Also a good thing I knew beforehand that this musical is entirely sung, though after the first 10 minutes or sooner you get the idea. The constant singing is a bit silly but you'll get used to it. The film looks great, in beautiful candy-sweet colours, with a memorable opening sequence featuring lots of umbrellas. Catherine Deneuve is very young and beautiful. I used to find the Oscar-nominated song I Will Wait for You annoying but here in the right setting, with the orchestra playing the tune, it was beautiful and touching. Especially during the ending the theme almost elicited tears. It was a La La Land sort of ending. An un-happy ending but actually not unhappy at all.
It Came From Outer Space is the last film to mention of the films seen on the big screen (I watched this on the first March weekend, together with Four In a Jeep and Psycho). It was very unfortunate that it wasn't the 3-D version. Initially it was programmed as a 3-D screening but they changed it to the normal version. I don't like to wear the 3-D glasses — they are tight and uncomfortable — so in a way I didn't mind the change, but it's easy to see in what scenes the 3-D would have been great. Like the rocks falling, or the alien's eye scanning his surroundings. It was a fun watch, and I liked the story (based on an original story by Ray Bradbury), and Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush make a nice and likeable couple. I also swooned a bit over Charles Drake in his leather jacket. I used to watch Hollywood 1950s movies a lot when I was growing up and one of the films that I have seen over and over again (also because my dad couldn't get enough of it) is The War of the Worlds. I realised while watching this film how well made The War of the Worlds is, even won an Oscar for Special Effects. It Came From Outer Space is less impressive but still belongs to one of the quintessential 1950s sci-fi films and I just might watch it again.
This month I watched the Nancy Drew series starring Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas and John Litel, four films in total. I had never much interest in checking them out, but I had plans to participate in my first blogathon with mysteries and detectives as theme (in the end I decided against participating). Still, I was very happy that I watched the series and totally enjoyed them. You can read about my thoughts on the Nancy Drew films in my previous post.
In addition to the Drew series I also saw a couple of other Bonita Granville films:
These Three (with Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea), The Truth About Murder (with Morgan Conway) and The Glass Key (with Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake and William Bendix).
I watched The Truth About Murder for Granville and its short running time. It's a fairly entertaining B-mystery but nothing more than a regular programmer and one that's easily forgotten the next day. It was nice to see Granville in a grown-up role but I didn't care much for Morgan Conway.
These Three is remade as The Children's Hour (also directed by William Wyler) which I watched a while ago and I remember that I wasn't very impressed by it. I was curious about the original film version because of Bonita Granville and the positive reviews she gets. Well, I can tell you this: there's nothing of Nancy Drew here. I know Bonita's a couple of years younger here than in the Drew films but she looks so totally different. She's good and impresses in her quiet moments with her mean stare, more than in her hysterical scenes. She's truly evil, the way she lies and manipulates. The Academy awarded Granville with a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. But let's not forget the little actress who plays Rosalie, Marcia Mae Jones, she's great as well. William Wyler sure got the best out of these kids with his assured direction. The adult cast is good too. Miriam Hopkins can be a hit and miss for me because I find her sometimes too shrill and hysterical but here I liked her, especially in her last scenes. I also love the sadness that's permeated through the film's last part. I felt sorry for Hopkins and Alma Kruger. The wonderful score by Alfred Newman makes it all the more poignant.
I wanted to see one more Bonita Granville film before focusing on another actor and decided to watch The Glass Key, because here she also has an adult role. I liked her, and I also liked Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake, but it's Alan Ladd who carries this film. I'm slowly beginning to understand the appeal of Ladd because he's pretty terrific here. I like his quiet gaze, his calmness, and there's something gentle about him, even when he plays a tough guy. William Bendix is great too as the dumb buffoon bad guy who likes to slug people. The ending is a typical studio happy ending that didn't make much sense in the line of the story. But Lake and Ladd have great chemistry.
The Glass Key made me binge-watch three more Alan Ladd films because I really start to like him. I watched Appointment with Danger (with Phyllis Calvert), Calcutta (with Gail Russell and William Bendix) and China (with Loretta Young and William Bendix). I also read a bit about Ladd's unhappy life and untimely death and his insecurity about his acting. This made me feel more sympathy for him and thus more determined to explore his filmography.
Pretty happy with the films I watched this month. Not so many at the film theater Filmoteca, only five films, but still very pleased with the opportunity to see them on the big screen: Four In a Jeep (with Viveca Lindfors and Ralph Meeker), It Came From Outer Space (with Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush and Charles Drake), Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (with Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo), Vertigo (with James Stewart, Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes) and Psycho (with Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and John Gavin).
I was happiest with the screenings of the two Hitchcock films. They were also the only rewatches this month. I watched Vertigo for the second time and what a great experience to see it on the big screen! The Bernard Herrmann score is so beautiful as well as the cinematography by Robert Burks and the film deserves to be shown enlarged and to be heard with the speakers at full blast. The performances are great all around, James Stewart is especially good during the confrontation scene with Kim Novak in the tower. I read a blog post dedicated to this film and it discusses obsession. It's indeed all about the characters being obsessed with one another: Stewart's Scottie with Novak's Madeleine, Novak's Madeleine with Carlotta Valdes, Novak's Judy with Stewart's Scottie, and also Barbara Bel Geddes' Midge with Stewart's Scottie. Required viewing! And if you have the chance, go and watch it at the theater!
I had seen Psycho a long time ago and it's still as good as I remembered. In my memory Janet Leigh's part was smaller but in fact she has plenty of screen time in the beginning of the film. Anthony Perkins really excels in his role and shows many different facets of his disturbed character. And there is a reason why Hitchcock is the Master of Suspense. Tension is perfectly built with great cinematography by John L. Russell and the terrific score by Bernard Herrmann. The only criticism I have is the campy ending in the cellar with the revelation of the skeleton and Norman Bates charging down the stairs in women's clothes and wig. It's almost laughable and not in line with the rest of the film.
I watched the obscure film Four In a Jeep on the big screen in a clear print. I had never heard of it before and was curious, as I'm not familiar with the history of post-WWII Vienna, occupied by the Allies. In this film four sergeants, each representing an occupying nation, patrol the city in a jeep and become involved with an Austrian woman whose husband has escaped a prison camp. Viveca Lindfors is a beautiful leading actress, looks a bit like Alida Valli, and also reminded me a bit of Ingrid Bergman, the way she talks. Ralph Meeker is a natural actor, I like him and I'm glad to see more of his films. I also really liked the French sergeant and his wife. The scene where the wife (played by Paulette Dubost) gives the French soldiers the grand tour around the apartment (to show them there's nobody hidden there) is quite funny. Noteworthy is also the beautiful cinematography by Emil Berna, very noirish at times. The homecoming scene at the station is beautifully photographed too. I was surprised how suspenseful the film was and how the ending was not predictable. Very glad I have seen this as it's difficult to get hold of.
NOTE: This was an interesting film language-wise. Seen this in the original version with Catalan subtitles, the spoken languages are German, English, French and Russian. The original subtitles provided are in French and German. I don't speak Catalan but fortunately I understand most of German and can read French (French subtitles were provided when Russian was spoken) so there was little of the dialogue lost on me.
I would probably never have seen the French classic film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) if it hadn't been shown on the big screen. Also a good thing I knew beforehand that this musical is entirely sung, though after the first 10 minutes or sooner you get the idea. The constant singing is a bit silly but you'll get used to it. The film looks great, in beautiful candy-sweet colours, with a memorable opening sequence featuring lots of umbrellas. Catherine Deneuve is very young and beautiful. I used to find the Oscar-nominated song I Will Wait for You annoying but here in the right setting, with the orchestra playing the tune, it was beautiful and touching. Especially during the ending the theme almost elicited tears. It was a La La Land sort of ending. An un-happy ending but actually not unhappy at all.
It Came From Outer Space is the last film to mention of the films seen on the big screen (I watched this on the first March weekend, together with Four In a Jeep and Psycho). It was very unfortunate that it wasn't the 3-D version. Initially it was programmed as a 3-D screening but they changed it to the normal version. I don't like to wear the 3-D glasses — they are tight and uncomfortable — so in a way I didn't mind the change, but it's easy to see in what scenes the 3-D would have been great. Like the rocks falling, or the alien's eye scanning his surroundings. It was a fun watch, and I liked the story (based on an original story by Ray Bradbury), and Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush make a nice and likeable couple. I also swooned a bit over Charles Drake in his leather jacket. I used to watch Hollywood 1950s movies a lot when I was growing up and one of the films that I have seen over and over again (also because my dad couldn't get enough of it) is The War of the Worlds. I realised while watching this film how well made The War of the Worlds is, even won an Oscar for Special Effects. It Came From Outer Space is less impressive but still belongs to one of the quintessential 1950s sci-fi films and I just might watch it again.
This month I watched the Nancy Drew series starring Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas and John Litel, four films in total. I had never much interest in checking them out, but I had plans to participate in my first blogathon with mysteries and detectives as theme (in the end I decided against participating). Still, I was very happy that I watched the series and totally enjoyed them. You can read about my thoughts on the Nancy Drew films in my previous post.
In addition to the Drew series I also saw a couple of other Bonita Granville films:
These Three (with Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea), The Truth About Murder (with Morgan Conway) and The Glass Key (with Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake and William Bendix).
I watched The Truth About Murder for Granville and its short running time. It's a fairly entertaining B-mystery but nothing more than a regular programmer and one that's easily forgotten the next day. It was nice to see Granville in a grown-up role but I didn't care much for Morgan Conway.
These Three is remade as The Children's Hour (also directed by William Wyler) which I watched a while ago and I remember that I wasn't very impressed by it. I was curious about the original film version because of Bonita Granville and the positive reviews she gets. Well, I can tell you this: there's nothing of Nancy Drew here. I know Bonita's a couple of years younger here than in the Drew films but she looks so totally different. She's good and impresses in her quiet moments with her mean stare, more than in her hysterical scenes. She's truly evil, the way she lies and manipulates. The Academy awarded Granville with a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. But let's not forget the little actress who plays Rosalie, Marcia Mae Jones, she's great as well. William Wyler sure got the best out of these kids with his assured direction. The adult cast is good too. Miriam Hopkins can be a hit and miss for me because I find her sometimes too shrill and hysterical but here I liked her, especially in her last scenes. I also love the sadness that's permeated through the film's last part. I felt sorry for Hopkins and Alma Kruger. The wonderful score by Alfred Newman makes it all the more poignant.
What I loved about These Three: the friendship between the women and the triangle friendship with Joel McCrea, the sweet love story between Merle Oberon and McCrea (very natural and believable), how beautiful Oberon and Hopkins look (those hats and long overcoats, the hairstyle!), handsome McCrea, Walter Brennan as the taxi driver. Due to the Hays Code the lesbian angle of the original play by Lillian Hellman was left out, and it leaves you wondering what could have been. For one, I could picture Oberon and Hopkins together as a couple, they could totally have made that believable. The only qualms I have is with the happy ending. I love happy endings but I would have liked it better if it would have ended with just Hopkins, or the scene with Hopkins and Oberon. The uplifting ending with Oberon and McCrea in Vienna and the public looking on while they embrace in a kiss takes the drama and the sadness away and I would have preferred an ending on a more somber note.
I wanted to see one more Bonita Granville film before focusing on another actor and decided to watch The Glass Key, because here she also has an adult role. I liked her, and I also liked Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake, but it's Alan Ladd who carries this film. I'm slowly beginning to understand the appeal of Ladd because he's pretty terrific here. I like his quiet gaze, his calmness, and there's something gentle about him, even when he plays a tough guy. William Bendix is great too as the dumb buffoon bad guy who likes to slug people. The ending is a typical studio happy ending that didn't make much sense in the line of the story. But Lake and Ladd have great chemistry.
The Glass Key made me binge-watch three more Alan Ladd films because I really start to like him. I watched Appointment with Danger (with Phyllis Calvert), Calcutta (with Gail Russell and William Bendix) and China (with Loretta Young and William Bendix). I also read a bit about Ladd's unhappy life and untimely death and his insecurity about his acting. This made me feel more sympathy for him and thus more determined to explore his filmography.
In Appointment with Danger Ladd plays a tough cop for the U.S. Postal Service investigating a murder witnessed by nun Calvert. Ladd's character becomes more gentle when in the company of the young nun and seems almost infatuated with her. Apparently there are some good one-liners here but I must have missed them due to the low sound capacity of my computer and I was watching this with my sister and without headphones. Some nice locations shots and fine cinematography by John F. Seitz. Maybe I should watch this again some day.
Alan Ladd teams up again with William Bendix in Calcutta. They play two buddies who fly cargo between Chungking and Calcutta and investigate the murder of their friend. (Ladd and Bendix were friends in real life too.) Is the dead man's fiancée (Gail Russell) to be trusted? I think Ladd and Russell make a nice couple and look beautiful together. I read in a review that they were also close friends off-screen. Russell's character feigns innocence, all the time speaking in a calm and soft voice. Her subdued manner seems delicate but, as we find out, is calculated and deliberate. Russell is not totally convincing as the femme fatale, she looks too fragile. I was glad that in the end Ladd still had pretty June Duprez to turn to.
China is a decent WWII film set in China before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Alan Ladd plays a cynical and selfish war profiteer who sells oil to the highest bidder, in this case the Japanese army. This doesn't sit well with Loretta Young who is a missionary teacher, born and bred in China, fleeing the enemy with her female students. Of course Ladd's heart softens and a romance between the two ensues. Ladd and Young are lacking a bit in the chemistry department but I kinda liked how their love story developed and that it wasn't rushed. Especially the scene in the back of the truck, after they have expressed their feelings, is cute. I also like William Bendix here. He is shown in the opening sequence in a great tracking shot, when the Chinese town around him explodes. He is totally endearing with the 'Donald Duck' baby and I love him in his scenes with Young, the one where he tells about his life on the farm back home, feeling homesick, and the one where he declares his love for Young. There are some great action scenes, especially the night scene with the raft trip and the Japanese enemy on the bridge. There's also an unsettling rape scene that isn't shown but it's obvious to the viewer what has happened. Too bad this film ended the way it did and that there's no happy ending.
Of these three Alan Ladd films I liked China the most.
Other films I watched this month:
The Plough and the Stars (with Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster)
We Who Are About to Die (with Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak and John Beal)
Too Late for Tears (with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea and Arthur Kennedy)
We’re Only Human (with Preston Foster, Jane Wyatt and James Gleason)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (with Doris Day, Gordon MacRae and Leon Ames)
I finally watched a Stanwyck film again but reportedly John Ford hated The Plough and the Stars and said that RKO 'ruined the damned thing'. It's definitely among the lesser movies directed by Ford I've seen. Based on a play about the 1916 Easter Rising (the film is very stagy), Ford wanted to use the cast of the original play but RKO insisted on using established stars for the leading roles to make the production more appealing. So Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster lead an almost all-Irish cast. I can overlook their inconsistent Irish accents but Stanwyck's character is insufferable, the way she whines and clings to her man. There's the occasional moment that she displays her great acting skills and she looks beautiful but it was hardly enough for me to like this film more. For what it's worth, Foster looks good too and he suits his role better than Barbara. Best part of the film: the last fifteen minutes, they are pretty suspenseful. Still, it could not make up for everything that came before it. By the way, this film is also with Bonita Granville. She plays the sick daughter of Stanwyck's upstairs neighbour and she eventually dies. (I watched this at the beginning of the month, before seeing the Nancy Drew series and the other Granville films).
Unknown actor (to me) John Beal has third billing in the entertaining drama We Who Are About to Die, playing an engineer who is set up for a murder he didn't commit and is sent to prison with a death sentence hanging over his head. Ann Dvorak is his girlfriend and Preston Foster the investigating cop who has a thing for Dvorak. I like how the relationship between Dvorak and Foster is handled, never developing into something more, Foster aware of the fact that it's Beal whom Dvorak loves. There are some brutal scenes, like the little boy run over by the getaway car and the prison guards using tear gas on the prisoners. Still, it's not a grim prison film in the same vein as, for instance, Brute Force, but the prison scenes are well done and I also liked the comradeship between the prisoners. Little-known film but recommendable.
Too Late for Tears is a terrific film noir with a great performance from Lizabeth Scott. What a femme fatale character! She gets more evil once the film progresses and nobody can stop her from getting what she wants. A remarkable performance from Dan Duryea as well, because he is actually sympathetic compared to Scott. He almost seems afraid of her. Arthur Kennedy is the one with the likeable role here, always a pleasure to see him play, even though he has little screen time. I liked how the plot developed and was satisfied with the ending. One of the best noirs I've seen lately.
By the Light of the Silvery Moon is the sequel to On Moonlight Bay using the same cast. I have seen the first film some time ago and can remember liking it. I especially liked Doris Day's little brother played by Billy Gray, also here in the sequel his character is the most memorable. The turkey scenes are very funny. Of course Doris Day and Gordon MacRae get to sing some songs and the whole film is light and sweet entertainment. I need to check out the other Day/MacRae collaborations as well.
Coming to the end of this post with We’re Only Human, an enjoyable film, especially because of the fine performance from a young and pretty Jane Wyatt. There are improbable plot developments (like unarmed cop Preston Foster preventing a bank robbery) but it all moves at a nice pace and there's even some nice dialogue/banter between Foster and Wyatt and I liked their little romance. Even though this film is nothing special, I might watch it again for Wyatt.
So that's it! My round-up for the month of March. I'm glad that in the end I reached a total of 20 films. Let's see if I can beat that with the next round-up!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Alan Ladd teams up again with William Bendix in Calcutta. They play two buddies who fly cargo between Chungking and Calcutta and investigate the murder of their friend. (Ladd and Bendix were friends in real life too.) Is the dead man's fiancée (Gail Russell) to be trusted? I think Ladd and Russell make a nice couple and look beautiful together. I read in a review that they were also close friends off-screen. Russell's character feigns innocence, all the time speaking in a calm and soft voice. Her subdued manner seems delicate but, as we find out, is calculated and deliberate. Russell is not totally convincing as the femme fatale, she looks too fragile. I was glad that in the end Ladd still had pretty June Duprez to turn to.
China is a decent WWII film set in China before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Alan Ladd plays a cynical and selfish war profiteer who sells oil to the highest bidder, in this case the Japanese army. This doesn't sit well with Loretta Young who is a missionary teacher, born and bred in China, fleeing the enemy with her female students. Of course Ladd's heart softens and a romance between the two ensues. Ladd and Young are lacking a bit in the chemistry department but I kinda liked how their love story developed and that it wasn't rushed. Especially the scene in the back of the truck, after they have expressed their feelings, is cute. I also like William Bendix here. He is shown in the opening sequence in a great tracking shot, when the Chinese town around him explodes. He is totally endearing with the 'Donald Duck' baby and I love him in his scenes with Young, the one where he tells about his life on the farm back home, feeling homesick, and the one where he declares his love for Young. There are some great action scenes, especially the night scene with the raft trip and the Japanese enemy on the bridge. There's also an unsettling rape scene that isn't shown but it's obvious to the viewer what has happened. Too bad this film ended the way it did and that there's no happy ending.
Of these three Alan Ladd films I liked China the most.
Other films I watched this month:
The Plough and the Stars (with Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster)
We Who Are About to Die (with Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak and John Beal)
Too Late for Tears (with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea and Arthur Kennedy)
We’re Only Human (with Preston Foster, Jane Wyatt and James Gleason)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (with Doris Day, Gordon MacRae and Leon Ames)
I finally watched a Stanwyck film again but reportedly John Ford hated The Plough and the Stars and said that RKO 'ruined the damned thing'. It's definitely among the lesser movies directed by Ford I've seen. Based on a play about the 1916 Easter Rising (the film is very stagy), Ford wanted to use the cast of the original play but RKO insisted on using established stars for the leading roles to make the production more appealing. So Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster lead an almost all-Irish cast. I can overlook their inconsistent Irish accents but Stanwyck's character is insufferable, the way she whines and clings to her man. There's the occasional moment that she displays her great acting skills and she looks beautiful but it was hardly enough for me to like this film more. For what it's worth, Foster looks good too and he suits his role better than Barbara. Best part of the film: the last fifteen minutes, they are pretty suspenseful. Still, it could not make up for everything that came before it. By the way, this film is also with Bonita Granville. She plays the sick daughter of Stanwyck's upstairs neighbour and she eventually dies. (I watched this at the beginning of the month, before seeing the Nancy Drew series and the other Granville films).
Unknown actor (to me) John Beal has third billing in the entertaining drama We Who Are About to Die, playing an engineer who is set up for a murder he didn't commit and is sent to prison with a death sentence hanging over his head. Ann Dvorak is his girlfriend and Preston Foster the investigating cop who has a thing for Dvorak. I like how the relationship between Dvorak and Foster is handled, never developing into something more, Foster aware of the fact that it's Beal whom Dvorak loves. There are some brutal scenes, like the little boy run over by the getaway car and the prison guards using tear gas on the prisoners. Still, it's not a grim prison film in the same vein as, for instance, Brute Force, but the prison scenes are well done and I also liked the comradeship between the prisoners. Little-known film but recommendable.
Too Late for Tears is a terrific film noir with a great performance from Lizabeth Scott. What a femme fatale character! She gets more evil once the film progresses and nobody can stop her from getting what she wants. A remarkable performance from Dan Duryea as well, because he is actually sympathetic compared to Scott. He almost seems afraid of her. Arthur Kennedy is the one with the likeable role here, always a pleasure to see him play, even though he has little screen time. I liked how the plot developed and was satisfied with the ending. One of the best noirs I've seen lately.
By the Light of the Silvery Moon is the sequel to On Moonlight Bay using the same cast. I have seen the first film some time ago and can remember liking it. I especially liked Doris Day's little brother played by Billy Gray, also here in the sequel his character is the most memorable. The turkey scenes are very funny. Of course Doris Day and Gordon MacRae get to sing some songs and the whole film is light and sweet entertainment. I need to check out the other Day/MacRae collaborations as well.
Coming to the end of this post with We’re Only Human, an enjoyable film, especially because of the fine performance from a young and pretty Jane Wyatt. There are improbable plot developments (like unarmed cop Preston Foster preventing a bank robbery) but it all moves at a nice pace and there's even some nice dialogue/banter between Foster and Wyatt and I liked their little romance. Even though this film is nothing special, I might watch it again for Wyatt.
So that's it! My round-up for the month of March. I'm glad that in the end I reached a total of 20 films. Let's see if I can beat that with the next round-up!
*Vertigo (1958) with Kim Novak;
*Vertigo (1958) with James Stewart and Kim Novak;
*Psycho (1960) with Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins;
*Psycho (1960) with Janet Leigh;
*Psycho (1960) with Janet Leigh;
*Four in a Jeep (1951) with Ralph Meeker, Yossi Yadin, Michael Medwin and Albert Dinan;
*Four in a Jeep (1951) with Viveca Lindfors and Ralph Meeker;
*Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (1964) with Catherine Deneuve;
*Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (1964) with Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo;
*Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (1964) with Catherine Deneuve;
*It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Barbara Rush, Richard Carlson and Charles Drake;
*Nancy Drew, Detective (1938) with Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas and John Litel;
*The Truth About Murder (1946) with Bonita Granville and Morgan Conway;
*These Three (1936) with Merle Oberon, Miriam Hopkins, Bonita Granville and Joel McCrea;
*These Three (1936) with Bonita Granville and Joel McCrea;
*These Three (1936) with Merle Oberon and Joel McCrea;
*The Glass Key (1942) with Brian Donlevy, Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd;
*The Glass Key (1942) with Alan Ladd and Bonita Granville;
*Appointment with Danger (1950) with Alan Ladd and Phyllis Calvert;
*Calcutta (1947) with Alan Ladd and Gail Russell;
*China (1943) with Alan Ladd and William Bendix;
*China (1943) with Alan Ladd and Loretta Young;
*The Plough and the Stars (1936) with Barbara Stanwyck;
*We Who Are About to Die (1937) with Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak and John Beal;
*Too Late for Tears (1949) with Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea;
*Too Late for Tears (1949) with Lizabeth Scott and Arthur Kennedy;
*By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) with Doris Day, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Gordon MacRae and Mary Wickes;
*By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) with Doris Day rehearsing behind the scenes;
*We’re Only Human (1935) with Preston Foster, Jane Wyatt and James Gleason;
*We’re Only Human (1935) with Preston Foster;
*We’re Only Human (1935) with Preston Foster and Jane Wyatt.