May 2020 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN MAY: 27
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 27
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Thomas Mitchell (3 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Thomas Mitchell (3 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Geraldine Fitzgerald, Maureen O'Sullivan & Marsha Hunt (3 in total)
The reason this round-up post comes so late is because I had a temporary lapse of insanity, haha. I have the habit of starting and quitting blogs on a whim, and all of a sudden I decided that I wanted to start a new film blog with a different template (with black background) and a different blog title and url. Maybe you've seen my (already deleted) Blog Move post here with a link to the new blog. Well, the insanity lapse has passed and I'm back to do my regular monthly round-up post on this blog (still alive and kicking), and the other new blog is shoved in a drawer, so to speak. So no more of that blog move nonsense.
In May I watched a total of 27 films, significant less than in the previous month when I watched a staggering amount of 55 films (but 27 is still a good amount!). I'm not working at the moment — currently on a sabbatical to do an online course — so I had more time to watch films than I normally have. Yet with the relaxation of the lockdown rules we could finally move house and were busy doing mostly that, which explains why I didn't watch as many films as in April (and 55 films a month is a figure I won't likely achieve any time soon, or ever again). Of course the Filmoteca has been closed for some time now due to Covid-19, so in May there have been no trips to the film theater. Which in most cases also means that there have been no rewatches, since I usually don't rewatch films at home (as you might know from previous posts).
Breaking the 27 watched films down in decades:
1910s - 0
1920s - 0
1930s - 12
1940s - 12
1950s - 3
1960s - 0
I didn't really have a plan for the month. I thought I might binge-watch WWII films but I let go of the idea very soon. In the end I watched only 5 WWII films (in watching order):
Immortal Sergeant (with Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and Thomas Mitchell)
Above and Beyond (with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker)
Pilot #5 (with Franchot Tone, Gene Kelly, Marsha Hunt and Van Johnson)
Cloak and Dagger (with Gary Cooper and Lilli Palmer)
O.S.S. (with Alan Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald)
My favourite of these films are Cloak and Dagger and O.S.S., and they also come on top of the list of all films watched this month. Both films are compelling and suspenseful.
Cloak and Dagger is a WWII spy thriller with Gary Cooper playing a physics professor on a mission to find out what the Nazis' progress is on the atomic bomb. Coop and Lilli Palmer have good chemistry and Palmer plays her character with nuance, tough and vulnerable at the same time. There's a pretty brutal one-on-one fight scene where Cooper strangles his opponent with his bare hands, and in the scene afterwards he looks genuinely affected by what he's done. The moment (earlier in the film) where Cooper reacts emotionally to Helene Thimig's death is acted really well too. Tension and suspense is maintained consistently throughout the film (I trusted no one) and I liked Max Steiner's score.
O.S.S. (which stands for Office of Strategic Services, an American wartime intelligence agency during WWII and a predecessor to CIA) is surprisingly well paced and I had a really good time with it. It stars Alan Ladd whom I've grown to like very much. I thought the focus would be on the love story between Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald but that's actually the side story and doesn't manifest itself until we're properly immersed in the main story about the OSS operation. I also really like Fitzgerald.
Immortal Sergeant I watched for Henry Fonda and also because I wanted to see a WWII film. Fonda is stranded in the desert with his comrades and superior Thomas Mitchell, and reminisces about his relationship with Maureen O'Hara. Fonda's character goes from indecisive to determined and after his ordeal in the desert finally finds the courage to ask O'Hara to marry him. By far not the best of WWII movies but still entertaining. And O'Hara looks lovely this young.
Immortal Sergeant I watched for Henry Fonda and also because I wanted to see a WWII film. Fonda is stranded in the desert with his comrades and superior Thomas Mitchell, and reminisces about his relationship with Maureen O'Hara. Fonda's character goes from indecisive to determined and after his ordeal in the desert finally finds the courage to ask O'Hara to marry him. By far not the best of WWII movies but still entertaining. And O'Hara looks lovely this young.
Above and Beyond is the story of Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima from his bomber Enola Gay. The film also shows the impact Tibbets' mission has on his marriage. Robert Taylor as Tibbets and Eleanor Parker as his wife give solid performances and have great chemistry. They played in a total of three films together and reportedly had an affair. Will check out their other two collaborations as well (Valley of the Kings and Many Rivers To Cross).
Of these WWII films Pilot #5 was the least enjoyable. In fact, it was a dull affair and messy. Most exciting moment was the suicide mission at the end. I also didn't really like Franchot Tone here and Gene Kelly can better stick to musicals. I do like Marsha Hunt and watched 2 other films with her this month. Also with Van Johnson in a small role.
Thomas Mitchell was my most watched actor with 3 films seen. Apart from the already mentioned Immortal Sergeant I saw The Romance of Rosy Ridge (with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh) and Flight from Destiny (with Geraldine Fitzgerald, James Stephenson and Jeffrey Lynn).
The Romance of Rosy Ridge is an entertaining post-Civil War drama with a good cast. I'm not really a Van Johnson fan but I like him here. The story is compelling, though at first nothing much seems to happen apart from Johnson arriving and staying at the farm. The conflict between North and South runs like a thread through the film and it's not so difficult to guess what Johnson's initial motive was to visit the farm (or at least I guessed it, but I can imagine this twist would have surprised some viewers). This is Janet Leigh's film debut and it's remarkable she appears in a leading role. The story goes that she has Norma Shearer to thank for it. Apparently Shearer, a retired MGM actress at the time, saw Janet's picture on the front desk at a ski resort in Northern California where Janet's parents worked. MGM was looking for a young naive country girl for The Romance of Rosy Ridge and Janet seemed to be perfect for it. I thought she was great indeed and believable. I especially liked her relationship with her mother Selena Royle. Some of their moments together are filled with emotion. Apart from the ever reliable Mitchell as Leigh's father, there's also little Dean Stockwell as the brother. He's one of my fave child actors.
Flight from Destiny has a bit of a far-fetched story premise but despite the slow start it became quite compelling. Though Geraldine Fitzgerald has first billing, she has little to do. It's really Mitchell's show and he has the most screen time. James Stephenson plays a doctor role again (like in Shining Victory, see below).
My mosted watched actresses with 3 films seen are Geraldine Fitzgerald, Marsha Hunt and Maureen O'Sullivan.
The Fitzgerald films are the already mentioned O.S.S. (among the WWII films) and Flight From Destiny (among the Thomas Mitchell films). I also watched Shining Victory (with James Stephenson), one of my favourite films of the month, together with O.S.S. and Cloak and Dagger. I chose this film for Fitzgerald, actually had this on my watchlist for some time now. It's an engrossing watch with, surprisingly, some traces of Rebecca. Barbara O'Neil has a Mrs. Danvers kind of role, obsessed with James Stephenson, and there's also a fire at the end of the film. Director Irving Rapper and Fitzgerald would work together again in Now, Voyager with Bette Davis in the lead. Apparently Davis has an uncredited cameo part as a nurse here but I missed it. I will look for it some other time. The film's beautiful score is by Max Steiner and the cinematography by James Wong Howe. Spoiler: Fitzgerald isn't very lucky, because like in O.S.S. she doesn't survive the film. Here it makes for a better ending but I still would have preferred a happy one.
Of the 3 Marsha Hunt films watched I already mentioned Pilot #5 among the WWII films. Furthermore I watched The Inside Story (with William Lundigan and Charles Winninger) and Mary Ryan, Detective (with John Litel). I really liked The Inside Story. It's a heartwarming and charming film set in the Depression with a good B-cast, about $1,000 being taken out of a hotel's safe by mistake and circulating among the community. Mary Ryan, Detective is nothing special but an enjoyable mystery story with Hunt (the reason I watched this) as a police detective going undercover. John Litel is here too but not as Hunt's love interest, unfortunately. It would have been nice if there'd been some romance in this film and some witty banter between the two leads.
The films I watched with Maureen O'Sullivan are Hold That Kiss (with Dennis O'Keefe), Let Us Live (with Henry Fonda) and Payment Deferred (with Charles Laughton and Ray Milland).
Of the 3 Marsha Hunt films watched I already mentioned Pilot #5 among the WWII films. Furthermore I watched The Inside Story (with William Lundigan and Charles Winninger) and Mary Ryan, Detective (with John Litel). I really liked The Inside Story. It's a heartwarming and charming film set in the Depression with a good B-cast, about $1,000 being taken out of a hotel's safe by mistake and circulating among the community. Mary Ryan, Detective is nothing special but an enjoyable mystery story with Hunt (the reason I watched this) as a police detective going undercover. John Litel is here too but not as Hunt's love interest, unfortunately. It would have been nice if there'd been some romance in this film and some witty banter between the two leads.
The films I watched with Maureen O'Sullivan are Hold That Kiss (with Dennis O'Keefe), Let Us Live (with Henry Fonda) and Payment Deferred (with Charles Laughton and Ray Milland).
Hold That Kiss is a screwball comedy and surprisingly enjoyable, where O'Sullivan and Dennis O'Keefe find themselves in a situation of mistaken identity and both think the other is rich. O'Sullivan looks lovely and I like her extended family of three brothers (among others young Mickey Rooney and Phillip Terry), a mother and an aunt. O'Keefe reminded me a bit of a young Alan Ladd. He's okay but this comedy could have benefited from a more charismatic lead actor, like Joel McCrea. Oh ... that St. Bernard dog is really big!
More Maureen O'Sullivan in Let Us Live, which was more engrossing and better than I thought it would be. O'Sullivan and Henry Fonda have good chemistry and it was nice to see O'Sullivan in a prominent role and not just playing the boring love interest. This little crime drama benefits from the great cinematography by Lucien Ballard. It really stands out, and while watching this I immediately wondered whether there was a big cinematographer behind the beautiful images (especially the ones at the prison cell and also the snowy scenes). Ballard was no minor player, he also shot The Killing and Laura. Though there are enough flaws here (notably the identification of the suspects by the witnesses) and a serious lack of plot development due to the short running time, the story itself is solid. I really like Fonda so definitely want to see more of him very soon. Also with Ralph Bellamy as the investigating detective.
Last O'Sullivan film is Payment Deferred, an enjoyable crime drama with a good performance from Charles Laughton, though at times he's laying it on too thick. Some plot developments are a bit predictable but as a whole it kept me engaged until the end. Both O'Sullivan and Ray Milland are very young here. I liked Dorothy Peterson as Laughton's wife.
Whirlpool (with Gene Tierney and Richard Conte), The Adventures of Jane Arden (with Rosella Towne and William Gargan), The Last Train from Madrid (with Lew Ayres, Dorothy Lamour, Helen Mack, Robert Cummings, Olympe Bradna, Gilbert Roland, Lee Bowman and Anthony Quinn), Trial (with Glenn Ford, Dorothy McGuire and Arthur Kennedy) and Invisible Stripes (with George Raft, Jane Bryan, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart) are all good watches.
Whirlpool (with Gene Tierney and Richard Conte), The Adventures of Jane Arden (with Rosella Towne and William Gargan), The Last Train from Madrid (with Lew Ayres, Dorothy Lamour, Helen Mack, Robert Cummings, Olympe Bradna, Gilbert Roland, Lee Bowman and Anthony Quinn), Trial (with Glenn Ford, Dorothy McGuire and Arthur Kennedy) and Invisible Stripes (with George Raft, Jane Bryan, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart) are all good watches.
Whirlpool is a solid Otto Preminger noir with good performances from the lead players. I love Gene Tierney, Richard Conte and Charles Bickford, and was glad that Conte's initial small part became a bit bigger and more substantial in the second half of the film. José Ferrer is someone I don't really care for but he gives a convincing performance as the villain. The plot seemed a bit incredible at some points but then I read something online about self-hypnosis to combat pain so it's not entirely impossible in real life. Some great cinematography by Arthur C. Miller. Tierney is so photogenic and beautiful.
I didn't expect anything from a little programmer like The Adventures of Jane Arden but it was fast-paced and really enjoyable. I wasn't familiar with the lead actress Rosella Towne and she reminded me a bit of Loretta Young. William Gargan is someone I like and it was nice to catch him as the male lead. Apparently Jane Arden was a comic strip which ran for decades. I liked the ending.
The Last Train from Madrid has a nice ensemble cast, which I actually watched for Lew Ayres. Set during the Spanish Civil War, this entertaining film has multiple story lines. Dorothy Lamour has first billing but her part is relatively small. Also her appearing in an embrace with Ayres on the film poster is misleading to say the least, since they don't even share a scene together. I guess they were probably the two biggest names at the time. I liked the story line with Ayres and Olympe Bradna and fortunately it ended well. Ayres looked quite handsome.
Trial is good but a bit incoherent and I would have liked it better if the emphasis would have been on the court drama and not the communist angle. Arthur Kennedy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and his performance is good, though not very nuanced and at times a bit over the top. I think he's very good in depicting unlikeable characters but I like him best when he plays someone likeable. Glenn Ford performs well too (at times a bit too intense) and the same goes for Dorothy McGuire but they don't make a very believable couple. I liked Juano Hernández as the judge.
Invisible Stripes stars George Raft, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart and their casting elicits some expectations. Though this mix of gangster movie and social drama is not great, it is enjoyable and surely has its good moments. Ex-con Raft wants to go straight and it's kind of disheartening to see him encounter so many difficulties while trying to obtain a job. The film is very effective in showing this social problem. I liked seeing Frankie Thomas (from the Nancy Drew series) as one of Raft's co-workers. Holden plays Raft's hot-headed younger brother who wants to give his girlfriend Jane Bryan the world and is susceptible for a life on the wrong path. I prefer Holden a bit older, though. Bogart probably gives the strongest performance of them all and that ending was quite good.
Once to Every Woman (with Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray), Hello, Sister! (with James Dunn and Zasu Pitts), You Belong to Me (with Lee Tracy and Helen Mack), The Rat (with Ruth Chatterton and Anton Walbrook), Yellow Jack (with Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery) and Beyond the Forest (with Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian and Ruth Roman) are all enjoyable to some extent.
Once to Every Woman is a medical drama and could have been more exciting. Walter Connolly has the best performance, those from Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray are pretty weak. I found this online and read that it recently had its premiere on TCM. Glad that the print was such a good one.
I chose to watch Hello, Sister! because of its short running time, also was curious how a film directed by Erich von Stroheim, Raoul Walsh and Alfred L. Werker would turn out. (I'm not really familiar with Alfred L. Werker but he co-directed He Walked by Night with Anthony Mann.) I enjoyed it but it would have benefited from stronger and more charismatic lead actors. Even though I love James Dunn, so far his performances have never impressed me much except, of course, for his outstanding Oscar-winning performance in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Zasu Pitts and Minna Gombell give better performances here. There are pre-code touches, also some violent moments. The film's finale came as a surprise to me and was quite exciting (the annoying drunkard with his explosives is responsible for this). Cinematography by James Wong Howe.
You Belong To Me is a drama with Lee Tracy, this time not his usual fast-talking persona. He also shows some emotions here and even manages to shed a tear or two. The plot twist with Helen Mack (I prefer her as a brunette) I hadn't seen coming. Tracy has good rapport with little David Holt who did pretty well as Mack's son. The drama didn't evoke any strong feelings on my part but this film was enjoyable and it was nice to see Tracy in a different kind of role.
The Rat didn't have my full attention because I was sleepy watching this. It was entertaining to some degree. The characters are not particularly likeable and the romance between Anton Walbrook and René Ray could have been developed better. I did like Ruth Chatterton here, and I like her in general. She was a good actress and Mrs. George Brent at one point. This film makes me want to see more of her. Walbrook looks good here so I might check out more of his films too.
I probably would have liked Yellow Jack less if it wasn't for the fact that my interest in viral diseases and pandemics has increased due to Covid-19. Apparently based on true historical facts, this film tells the story of Dr. Walter Reed and his quest for discovering the source of yellow fever. The medical and scientific part of the film was very interesting and even made me read more on the topic online. But the film as a whole is weak and suffers from an uninteresting and unconvincing romance story between Robert Montgomery and Virginia Bruce. I would have preferred some stronger drama instead of Montgomery's light-touch performance, more fit for a romantic comedy. Too bad I also had to deal with annoying Andy Devine and Buddy Ebsen. So all in all, this could have been much better. I read this is based on a play and Jimmy Stewart played Montgomery's role on the stage. I think I would have preferred Stewart.
Beyond the Forest (known for Bette Davis uttering the words "What a dump!") is a campy film with Bette in a devious role, sporting an unbecoming black wig. It's not a good film and Bette is hamming it up, but it's certainly entertaining. I'd wish Joseph Cotten had a more exciting role (because I like him so much), still he gives a solid performance. Young Ruth Roman is pretty, yet has not much to do and her role is kind of superfluous. The weirdest character (even weirder than Bette) must be the maid who has her appearance modelled after Bette and acts very strange. It was quite laughable, actually.
Coming to my least favourite films of the month (together with the already mentioned Pilot #5): The Man Who Talked Too Much (with George Brent and Virginia Bruce), Fifty Roads to Town (with Ann Sothern and Don Ameche) and Donovan’s Brain (with Lew Ayres and Nancy Davis).
Coming to my least favourite films of the month (together with the already mentioned Pilot #5): The Man Who Talked Too Much (with George Brent and Virginia Bruce), Fifty Roads to Town (with Ann Sothern and Don Ameche) and Donovan’s Brain (with Lew Ayres and Nancy Davis).
I really like the cast of The Man Who Talked Too Much (Brent, Bruce, Brenda Marshall, Richard Barthelmess, William Lundigan and John Litel) but there are a lot of plot holes and the one where Brent drinks the poison to prove his client's innocence is the most implausible of them all. It's also strange to see Brent and Barthelmess sharing scenes together. They're two actors from different calibers/film genres, and somehow don't fit in the same film. I really like Brent but he is not a very good dramatic actor. And I was distracted by the shape of his moustache! Disappointing ending since nothing has been done to further develop the relationship between Brent and Bruce. I like Bruce here and it would have been nice to see Brent return her affection.
Fifty Roads to Town is rather charmless and the romance is not really convincing. I think the most charming scene is the one where Ann Sothern and Don Ameche are singing together. The leads have good chemistry and it's too bad they didn't have better material to work with.
Donovan’s Brain has a promising story premise (yet familiar) but the execution was poor. For some reason I had expected more of this. Still, it managed to entertain, and at times was unintentionally laughable. I like Lew Ayres and he was the reason to watch this. Nancy Davis gives okay support as Ayres' wife.
So that's a round-up again! See you all next time! Stay safe and don't forget to wear your face mask when you go outside!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Trial (1955) with Glenn Ford and Dorothy McGuire;
*Invisible Stripes (1939) with Jane Bryan, William Holden, George Raft and Flora Robson;
*Once to Every Woman (1934) with Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray;
*Hello, Sister! (1933) with James Dunn and Boots Mallory;
*You Belong to Me (1934) with Lee Tracy and Helen Mack;
*The Rat (1937) with Ruth Chatterton and Anton Walbrook;
*Yellow Jack (1938) with Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery;
*Beyond the Forest (1949) with Bette Davis;
*The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) with George Brent and Virginia Bruce;
*Fifty Roads to Town (1937) with Ann Sothern and Don Ameche;
*Donovan’s Brain (1953) with Lew Ayres and Nancy Davis;
So that's a round-up again! See you all next time! Stay safe and don't forget to wear your face mask when you go outside!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Geraldine Fitzgerald;
*Cloak and Dagger (1946) with Gary Cooper and Lilli Palmer;
*O.S.S. (1946) with Alan Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald;
*Immortal Sergeant (1943) with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara;
*Above and Beyond (1952) with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker;
*Pilot #5 (1943) with Franchot Tone, Gene Kelly and Marsha Hunt;
*The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947) with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh;
*Flight from Destiny (1941) with Jeffrey Lynn, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Thomas Mitchell;
*Flight from Destiny (1941) with Geraldine Fitzgerald and Thomas Mitchell;
*Shining Victory (1941) with Geraldine Fitzgerald and James Stephenson;
*The Inside Story (1948) with Marsha Hunt, William Lundigan and Charles Winninger;
*Mary Ryan, Detective (1949) with Marsha Hunt and John Litel;
*Hold That Kiss (1938) with Maureen O'Sullivan and Dennis O'Keefe;
*Let Us Live (1939) with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Sullivan;
*Payment Deferred (1932) with Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Sullivan and Dorothy Peterson;
*Whirlpool (1949) with Gene Tierney and Richard Conte;
*The Adventures of Jane Arden (1939) with Rosella Towne and William Gargan;
*The Last Train from Madrid (1937) with Lew Ayres and Olympe Bradna;*Trial (1955) with Glenn Ford and Dorothy McGuire;
*Invisible Stripes (1939) with Jane Bryan, William Holden, George Raft and Flora Robson;
*Once to Every Woman (1934) with Ralph Bellamy and Fay Wray;
*Hello, Sister! (1933) with James Dunn and Boots Mallory;
*You Belong to Me (1934) with Lee Tracy and Helen Mack;
*The Rat (1937) with Ruth Chatterton and Anton Walbrook;
*Yellow Jack (1938) with Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery;
*Beyond the Forest (1949) with Bette Davis;
*The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) with George Brent and Virginia Bruce;
*Fifty Roads to Town (1937) with Ann Sothern and Don Ameche;
*Donovan’s Brain (1953) with Lew Ayres and Nancy Davis;
*Once to Every Woman (1934) with Fay Wray. (screenshot by me)