January 2021 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JANUARY: 35
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 35
REWATCHES: 0
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 2
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Barton MacLane (11 in total)
The two previous years saw a very low count of watched films in the first month of the year (10 films in 2020 and 8 in 2019) and I definitely wanted to change that this year. Well, fortunately I reached a figure of 35 films, so yay, more than one film a day on average. My goal for this year is to watch 365 films.
With vaccination programs starting in December/January worldwide, we could get a taste of better times ahead but it's still going to be a long road. Fortunately the world is indeed heading for better times with Joe Biden's inauguration as the new President of the United States, which made me very happy.
On the homefront there is little news since not much is happening other than working from home and watching films. We experienced some heat records again in Spain with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees in Alicante, in January! Here in Barcelona temperatures haven't been that crazy but still spring-like and some days it was around 20 degrees.
My most watched actress of January is Glenda Farrell and my most watched actor is Barton MacLane. Not so surprisingly since I watched the entire Torchy Blane series and they both star in 7 of the 9 Blane films in total. Besides the Torchy films I also watched an additional six Farrell films, making the total of Farrell films watched a whopping 13! I also saw four other films starring MacLane.
I started the year rather productively on my blog and already published 4 posts (apart from the December 2020 Round-Up) which is a new month record for me. The posts are: My Classic Movie New Year's Goals, 2020 Round-Up, Marilyn Monroe by Milton H. Greene and Torchy Blane Reporter.
Breaking the 35 watched films down in decades:
1910s - 0
1920s - 0
1930s - 21
1940s - 10
1950s - 3
1960s - 1
With Covid cases rising again in Spain, I was afraid the Filmoteca might have to close its doors again but no additional restrictions were being imposed in January. So I could visit the Marilyn Monroe exhibition (see here) and I saw two films on the big screen: The Killers (with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Ronald Reagan and John Cassavetes) and Marty (with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair).
I had seen the 1946 film version of The Killers with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner once before but to be honest, I couldn't remember much of it (definitely going to rewatch it soon). I guess this remake is a bit different. It's an enjoyable watch with a top-notch cast (with maybe the exception of Ronald Reagan). Especially Lee Marvin is fun and supercool as the killer, with his sidekick Clu Gulager providing comic relief. Beautiful Angie Dickinson and John Cassavetes make a believable couple (I think Dickinson is better in the femme fatale part than Gardner but I have to rewatch the Gardner version to be sure). All in all, it was a great experience seeing this in the theater, with those eye-popping colours. The ending with the blood-red blood was memorable. Also great iconic shot with the gun barrel in close-up!
Marty is not as good as I hoped it would be — if you consider all the raving reviews — still, this exploration of loneliness is at times very poignant. Ernest Borgnine gives a strong performance and has some really good scenes. Betsy Blair, Mrs. Gene Kelly at the time, is okay as Borgnine's love interest. I had expected these two characters to be very shy but they don't really have problems speaking their minds, Marty even has a fairly wide circle of friends.
Like I said, I watched the entire Torchy Blane series, 9 films in total, and really enjoyed them. I wrote a special post about it here.
Apart from watching the Blane series, I also watched six other Glenda Farrell films:
High Tension (with Brian Donlevy and Norman Foster)
Prison Break (with Barton MacLane)
Little Caesar (with Edward G. Robinson and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)
Kansas City Princess (with Joan Blondell, Robert Armstrong and Hugh Herbert)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (with Paul Muni, Helen Vinson and Preston Foster)
I’ve Got Your Number (with Joan Blondell, Pat O’Brien and Allen Jenkins)
Of the Glenda Farrell films the acclaimed titles Little Caesar and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang had been high on my watchlist.
Little Caesar is a bit of a let-down, an overrated gangster film which established Edward G. Robinson as a star. I find his performances mostly good and convincing, but this time he was overacting and it looked like he was playing a caricature (this was an early gangster film and by the end of the 1930s Edward G.'s performances had improved considerably). The dialogue is very stilted and also Douglas Fairbanks Jr.'s performance is wooden and pretty bad. Unfortunately Glenda Farrell's part is quite small. She looks somehow older than in later films and a bit chubby, and nothing in her appearance or role suggests she would become this sassy sparkling woman full of energy like in her Torchy films (here she reminded me a bit of Ruth Chatterton). Too bad the plot is predictable and formulaic so there are few extra points to score in that department. Still, the cinematography is good, courtesy of Tony Gaudio.
I chose to watch I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang as much for Glenda Farrell as Paul Muni. Muni gives a great performance as the titular fugitive and makes the viewer care for his character and root for him. His best scene is the moment when he's told that there will be no pardon at all. The emotions displayed on his face are very real and raw. The ending and last line are truly bleak and Muni's face disappearing into the black background looks almost maniacal. Farrell's role is not big but she leaves an impression as the vindictive landlady turned wife. I like Helen Vinson and was disappointed how small her part was. Also with a short appearance by Preston Foster and beautiful photography by Sol Polito. Great social commentary, laying bare the fallible criminal justice system.
Of the other four Farrell films (High Tension, Prison Break, Kansas City Princess and I’ve Got Your Number) I liked I’ve Got Your Number best.
I’ve Got Your Number is a very enjoyable comedy with snappy dialogue and full of energy. Pat O'Brien is a bit too cocksure and at times unpleasant, the way he moves in on Joan Blondell and coerces her to go out on a date with him and then he also knocks over her dining table, creating a mess. Well, I would be furious but she lets him take her out on a date. The plot was surprisingly engaging and I liked how O'Brien used his skills as a telephone repair man to tap and trace a call in order to save Blondell. Too bad Glenda Farrell's part is so small. Allen Jenkins is fun as O'Brien's sidekick.
Prison Break I watched for both Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane. I liked seeing Farrell play a serious and demure character. The story is not really special, and MacLane doesn't break out of prison (merely preventing thug Ward Bond and his cohorts from breaking out), but it was a fairly captivating watch (with social commentary on how difficult it is to get a job as a parolee). Still, the main reason I liked it was because of its leading couple and I was glad I could see them together again after having finished the whole Torchy Blane series. It's funny how MacLane calls Farrell Skipper here, because in the Torchy films it was the other way around. Some images are beautifully shot (courtesy of Harry Neumann), especially the ending on the boat.
Kansas City Princess was disappointing. I find these gold digger stories not very appealing. I can digest them because I love the leads, real-life pals Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell, but I tend to lose patience with main characters who are so superficial. I have to say I lost a bit of interest along the way and didn't pay full attention anymore. Really the only strength is the chemistry between Blondell and Farrell. Robert Armstrong is a stupid baboon but I did like Hugh Herbert most of the time.
High Tension was even more disappointing. I didn't really like Brian Donlevy's character. The scene where he gets jealous and starts a fight with his presumed rival in Glenda Farrell's apartment is pretty ridiculous (especially the part where they start 'dancing' holding the piano). Unfortunately Farrell couldn't save this film for me. It did make me contemplate those cable layer jobs and that nowadays they still lay cables on ocean floors to make the internet work. Also with Hattie McDaniel as Farrell's maid.
Apart from the Torchy films I also watched four other films starring Barton MacLane:
Gangs of Chicago (with Lloyd Nolan and Lola Lane)
Prison Break (with Glenda Farrell)
Dr. Socrates (with Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak)
Mysterious Intruder (with Richard Dix)
Prison Break I've already mentioned with the Glenda Farrell films.
Of the other three films I enjoyed Dr. Socrates the most. This had been on my watchlist for some time now (because of Ann Dvorak) and while I was looking for Barton MacLane films I came across this one again, so decided to watch it immediately. It's an enjoyable watch, fast-paced and engaging, with good performances by the lead players. I really like Paul Muni here, as the doctor unwillingly helping out a wounded gangster (glad he didn't have a phony accent like in Black Fury), his character is very likeable, calm and kind. He comes across as intelligent and capable so the film's finale — when he comes up with a cunning plan to outwit the gangsters — is totally believable. Dvorak is sweet as Muni's love interest (she could have used more screen time, though) and loud-mouthed MacLane is okay (he could have toned down the shouting). Small part for Mayo Methot as the gangster's moll and some nice photography by the great Tony Gaudio.
I came across Gangs of Chicago when I was looking for a short film with MacLane. It also has Lola Lane in the cast who played Torchy in the 5th instalment of the Torchy Blane series. It's an enjoyable gangster drama with a familiar story premise of two childhood friends ending up on opposite sides of the law and it's executed pretty well. Lloyd Nolan gives a good performance and clearly carries this film. Lane is billed as the leading lady but has little screen time (more time is reserved for Astrid Allwyn) and MacLane is also underused. He plays the crooked tough guy role again (I already feel like rewatching some Torchy Blane films because I really like him as Steve McBride). I recognised Dwight Frye from the Frankenstein classics and other horror films. Apparently there's an uncredited appearance by Alan Ladd but I missed him. Some nice noirish photography by Elwood Bredell.
Mysterious Intruder I watched for both Barton MacLane and Richard Dix. I had never seen a Whistler film before and had no idea what to expect from Dix's character. I was surprised that he was pretty unscrupulous and wasn't that likeable. It was an enjoyable watch, though, and had some great noir photography by Philip Tannura, a DP I'd never heard of before.
Furthermore I randomly picked the following films, here listed in watching order:
Fury (with Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney)
The Wedding Night (with Gary Cooper, Anna Sten and Ralph Bellamy)
Private Worlds (with Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea)
The Young Philadelphians (with Paul Newman, Barbara Rush and Alexis Smith)
The Story of Esther Costello (with Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi and Heather Sears)
The Hunted (with Preston Foster and Belita)
Green Light (with Errol Flynn, Anita Louise and Margaret Lindsay)
Up in Mabel's Room (with Marjorie Reynolds, Dennis O'Keefe, Gail Patrick and Lee Bowman)
One Last Fling (with Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott)
Mr. District Attorney (with Dennis O'Keefe, Florence Rice and Peter Lorre)
Danger Signal (with Faye Emerson, Zachary Scott, Bruce Bennett and Mona Freeman)
The Gangster (with Barry Sullivan and Belita)
Suspense (with Belita, Barry Sullivan, Bonita Granville and Albert Dekker)
King of the Lumberjacks (with John Payne, Gloria Dickson and Stanley Fields)
Devil’s Squadron (with Richard Dix, Karen Morley and Lloyd Nolan)
Sometimes 'whim-watching' films can lead to other films. I watched Up in Mabel's Room and decided to watch another film with Dennis O'Keefe, hence Mr. District Attorney. The comedy One Last Fling had Zachary Scott in an awful role and made me want to see a film noir with Scott so I chose Danger Signal. And I really liked Belita in The Hunted which made me check out her two films with Barry Sullivan (The Gangster and Suspense).
I really enjoyed Up in Mabel's Room, a goofy farce with a lovable cast. I especially liked Gail Patrick, Charlotte Greenwood and Binnie Barnes. I think I've never seen Dennis O'Keefe play such a dope before but he pulls it off splendidly. Quick-paced, not a dull moment, with witty dialogue and Patrick probably having the best lines. Marjorie Reynolds has the least interesting character of the females but at least she looks lovely.
Unfortunately Mr. District Attorney was only mildly enjoyable and a not very successful attempt at screwball comedy/noir. Dennis O'Keefe and Florence Rice have okay chemistry but Peter Lorre seems to be in a totally different film.
One Last Fling is the worst film of the month, together with High Tension. If cute dog George is the best thing about this film it should say enough. The story premise of a husband who thinks his wife's place is in the home is of course very dated but I could look past this if the performances would have been great and the characters would have found themselves in farcical screwball situations. But alas! Zachary Scott is even awful and speaks with this annoying whiny voice all the time. If you ask me, he can better stick to film noirs. Alexis Smith doesn't fare well either but she looks pretty and I liked her outfit where she wears a dress over wide leg pants.
So I wanted to see Zachary Scott in a film noir again after having seen One Last Fling. In Danger Signal he's back playing a swindler, charming at first. Faye Emerson reminded me a bit of Joan Crawford, something about her cheekbones or mouth. She's good in the lead and her interactions with both Scott and Bruce Bennett brought Mildred Pierce to mind where Crawford plays opposite Scott and Bennett as well. Mona Freeman is well cast as the selfish sister. The climax with the poison is wrapped up too quickly and the happy ending with the two couples was a bit of a let-down.
The Hunted is a little lesser-known noir featuring Preston Foster and former Olympic ice skater Belita about a cop who sent his former girlfriend to jail for a robbery crime she may or may not have committed. Foster is okay as the obsessed cop but it's Belita whose performance I really enjoyed. She reminded me a bit of Veronica Lake and Bonita Granville, a mix of femme fatale and schoolgirl. The leads have nice chemistry and I wanted them to get together again but after the last turn of events their happy ending didn't make much sense. Still, all in all really entertaining and it has some fine noir photography by Harry Neumann. It also has an ice skating sequence incorporated which was a nice entertainment piece, something you don't expect to see in a film noir. Also watch out for an uncredited Charles McGraw as one of the detectives.
I also wanted to see Belita's films with Barry Sullivan. The Gangster is a strange film, albeit not bad at all. Sullivan is handsome this young (his character has a weird name, Shubunka, and they say it a lot) and he makes a believable couple with Belita who doesn't get to skate here (but she does sing a song). Sullivan plays a rather complex character, tortured and paranoid and tough, and he portrays him well. I could do without Harry Morgan's romantic subplot, though. Also with noir heavies Elisha Cook Jr. and Charles McGraw in small supporting roles.
Suspense is another noir with Barry Sullivan and Belita, actually made before The Gangster. Sullivan's career move in the film is a bit unbelievable and there are plot twists that are far-fetched as well, but the whole viewing experience was enjoyable. I said before that I thought Belita was a cross between Veronica Lake and Bonita Granville. Well, I meant the schoolgirl Granville, not the type Granville is playing here. This film has a couple of really entertaining skating scenes, I especially liked the first number and Belita is a very skilled skater. Great cinematography by Karl Struss and final film of Eugene Pallette.
Continuing with the rest of the randomly picked films. Of these the most enjoyable were Fury, The Young Philadelphians and The Story of Esther Costello.
Fury is actually my highest rated film of the month. It's Fritz Lang's first American film (and my first film of 2021) and it's an excellent and compelling noir with Sylvia Sidney and Spencer Tracy as believable lovers. The opening sequence is very cute and since I had not read the synopsis, I had no idea where it was leading to but knew something bad was going to happen, something to burst the lovely happy bubble. It came as a surprise that Tracy got caught and was imprisoned right away (so not a film about lovers on the run which I thought it might be) and that this film deals with mob frenzy and violence. This subject really gives me the creeps, it's horrifying when crazy people take matters into their own hands, don't think for themselves anymore but are controlled by the group, and when the law cannot protect the innocent. The mob scenes are beautifully shot by Joseph Ruttenberg with close-ups of the men. I liked how the story developed, hadn't seen the plot twists coming, and Tracy is great in his performance as the wronged and innocent man out to seek justice and revenge. By the way, the little dog Rainbow is so cute but sadly had to die in the film.
The Young Philadelphians is admittedly too long (over two hours) but I enjoyed this soap opera and it was nice to see Paul Newman again. And looking very handsome and hunky, especially during the construction scenes. He has nice chemistry with Barbara Rush who has a couple of really good scenes. Alexis Smith has a small part but looks good, pushing forty. Robert Vaughn delivers a great performance which won him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Billie Burke is delightful as always.
The Story of Esther Costello is an engrossing drama reminiscent of The Miracle Worker and Johnny Belinda because of the subject matter. Heather Sears stars as the titular Esther Costello, a blind-deaf-mute girl, and gives a very convincing and moving performance. Joan Crawford is the wealthy lady who takes Esther in and provides her with an education. Crawford is good and gets to show a range of emotions. The first part of the film deals with Esther learning to communicate but about midway it changes tone as Joan's sleazy husband (handsome and slick Rossano Brazzi) enters the scene, intent on exploiting the charity funding his wife has started, while his eyes wander in the direction of beautiful Esther. Some parts felt uncomfortable and unnerving and the ending with Crawford and Brazzi I hadn't seen coming. Beautiful photography by Robert Krasker (DP of The Third Man).
I also enjoyed King of the Lumberjacks. It was actually more enjoyable than I thought it would be, this lumberjack film starring a young and handsome John Payne. Stanley Fields, who reminded me a bit of Wallace Beery, has more screen time than Payne and fortunately his character is likeable (there's too much of him, though). Gloria Dickson plays the female lead and is pretty. She has a rather substantial role as the singer who marries Fields out of gratitude and stays faithful to him until old flame Payne returns to town.
Devil’s Squadron is one of those many aviation films the studios made in the 1930/40s and a pretty decent one at that. Richard Dix is a familiar face in those aviation B-films (Sky Giant, Men Against the Sky, The Lost Squadron, Ace of Aces, The Marines Fly High) and here he plays a test pilot with a blemish on his flying record. I chose this for Karen Morley and somehow missed this film when I was looking for appealing Morley films to watch back in October. I like her when she plays a bit more dramatic. The focus is not only on Dix but also on the other pilots of the squadron and their romances. With some great aerial scenes, this was an engaging watch, but unfortunately there was little focus on the romance development between Morley and Dix.
What else?
The Wedding Night is an enjoyable drama with young and handsome Gary Cooper. Somehow his character never really made me root for his happiness. Anna Sten looks lovely in her winter coat and hat but I preferred Helen Vinson as Cooper's wife. Also with Ralph Bellamy as a Polish farmer with an unconvincing accent who marries Sten. It's one of his worst characters ever. The film ends on a tragic note, which was pretty predictable.
Private Worlds has an ensemble cast I love (Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, Joan Bennett and Helen Vinson). I can imagine that films dealing with mental illness were a novelty at the time. Yet it's not so much mental illness that's being explored here, it deals more with the intimate lives of the doctors working at the institute, the platonic relationship between co-workers Colbert and McCrea, and the focus on a woman's career in the medical profession. And then there's Boyer as the new superintendent who's prejudiced against women psychiatrists. Colbert and Boyer seem a likely couple, maybe because they're both French. I was thinking how nice it would have been if they would have made a screwball comedy together. Then I remembered Tovarich which I didn't like very much. Maybe I should watch it again. This film has an eerie scene where Joan Bennett is roaming the house during a thunderstorm with voices heard in her head. Claudette Colbert received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role.
Last film to mention is Green Light, a Frank Borzage melodrama starring Errol Flynn as a surgeon taking the blame for an operation gone wrong. Normally I like Borzage, his depiction of romantic love, his lyricism and spirituality. But here the plot and the spiritual bit are weak and there's also nothing special about the performances. What bugged me most about this film is that Flynn ends up with the wrong girl. We have Margaret Lindsay, the loyal nurse working closely by his side and very much in love with him, and he falls for Anita Louise without any scenes between them to make their love even slightly believable. Extra points for Sylvia the dog. She's beautiful and fortunately she has many scenes.
So that's another round-up for y'all! How fast the first month of the new year has gone by! Let's hope to watch more classic movies the coming month. I might binge-watch romance movies with Valentine's Day coming up and do a post on my top 10 favourite classic romantic films.
Stay safe and obey the mandatory Covid measures! Do like Errol does and wear your face mask!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*The Killers (1964) with Angie Dickinson and John Cassavetes;
*The Killers (1964) with Angie Dickinson;
*The Killers (1964) with Lee Marvin;
*Marty (1955) with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair;
*Torchy Runs for Mayor (1939) with Glenda Farrell, Barton MacLane and Tom Kennedy;
*Glenda Farrell, Most Watched Actress of the Month;
*Little Caesar (1931) with Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Glenda Farrell; (gif by me)
*I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932); (gif by me)
*I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) with Paul Muni and Helen Vinson; (gif by me)
*I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) with Paul Muni and Glenda Farrell; (screenshot by me)
*I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) with Glenda Farrell; (screenshot by me)
*I’ve Got Your Number (1934) with Joan Blondell and Pat O'Brien;
*I’ve Got Your Number (1934) with Pat O'Brien, Glenda Farrell and Allen Jenkins;
*Prison Break (1938) with Glenda Farrell and Barton MacLane;
*Kansas City Princess (1934) with Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell;
*High Tension (1936) with Brian Donlevy, Glenda Farrell and Helen Wood;
*Dr. Socrates (1935) with Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak; (3 photos)
*Gangs of Chicago (1940) with Lloyd Nolan, Barton MacLane and Dwight Frye;
*Mysterious Intruder (1946) with Barton MacLane and Richard Dix;
*Belita, actress and former Olympic ice skater;
*Up in Mabel’s Room (1944) with Dennis O'Keefe and Marjorie Reynolds;
*Mr. District Attorney (1941) with Dennis O'Keefe and Florence Rice;
*One Last Fling (1949) with Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott;
*Danger Signal (1945) with Faye Emerson and Zachary Scott;
*Danger Signal (1945) with Faye Emerson and Bruce Bennett;
*The Hunted (1948) with Preston Foster and Belita;
*The Gangster (1947) with Barry Sullivan;
*The Gangster (1947) with Barry Sullivan and Belita;
*Suspense (1946) with Barry Sullivan, Belita and Eugene Pallette;
*Fury (1936) with Sylvia Sidney and Spencer Tracy;
*The Young Philadelphians (1959) with Barbara Rush and Paul Newman;
*The Young Philadelphians (1959) with Paul Newman;
*The Story of Esther Costello (1957) with Joan Crawford, Heather Sears and John Loder;
*King of the Lumberjacks (1940) with John Payne and Gloria Dickson;
*Devil’s Squadron (1936) with Richard Dix and Karen Morley;
*The Wedding Night (1935) with Gary Cooper and Anna Sten;
*The Wedding Night (1935) with Gary Cooper and Helen Vinson;
*Private Worlds (1935) with Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer and Joel McCrea;
*Green Light (1937) with Errol Flynn, Margaret Lindsay and Anita Louise;
*Green Light (1937) with Errol Flynn and Anita Louise;
*Green Light (1937) with Errol Flynn. (screenshot by me)
