October 2021 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN OCTOBER: 45
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 42 (35 features & 7 shorts)
REWATCHES: 3
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 5 (3 features & 2 shorts)
HORROR FILMS: 28
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Bela Lugosi (6 in total)
Bela Lugosi and Carroll Borland in Mark of the Vampire
Last year was the first year I started watching horror films in October, the spooky Halloween month. I thought I didn't really like the horror genre but after seeing so many 1930s and 1940s horror films (see this post), I was totally sold on them. The creepy atmosphere, the beautiful black-and-white cinematography, lots of films starring the iconic actors Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, all these things appealed to me. It also helps I'm a sucker for 1930s and 1940s films. So I've decided to make this a yearly recurrence and, like November is for watching noirs, October will be dedicated to watching horror films. Welcome to my Spooktober! (I wrote a post on Universal Horror Films & Monsters here.)
Gloria Holden and Nan Grey in Dracula’s Daughter
I watched a total of 28 horror films: Mark of the Vampire, The Man They Could Not Hang, The Black Room, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Devil-Doll, The Undying Monster, The Tell-Tale Heart, Island of Lost Souls, Dracula, The Bat Whispers, Behind the Mask, The Death Kiss, Phantom of the Opera, The Invisible Man Returns, Un Chien Andalou, Dracula’s Daughter, King Kong, Black Moon, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Son of Frankenstein, Dead Man’s Eyes, Werewolf of London, Murders in the Zoo, The Face Behind the Mask, The Monster and the Girl, Hold That Ghost, The Witches and The Ghost of Frankenstein.
All of these are classified as horror (some are also classified among other genres) but a few of the above-mentioned titles have less to do with the genre. The Bat Whispers is more like an old-dark-house mystery, The Incredible Shrinking Man is more science fiction, and Dead Man’s Eyes is more of a crime drama.
The Case of the Black Cat sounds like horror because of the black cat in the title and The Mystery of Marie Roget is based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, but they are classified as crime mystery, so I didn't include them in the list of horror films.
Just like in film noir, the cinematography in 1930s and 1940s horror films is often striking. For me the winning Director of Photography (DP) of this month is Karl Freund. The cinematography of Murders in the Rue Morgue is stunning.
Murders in the Rue Morgue, cinematography by Karl Freund
I took a couple of trips to the cinema and watched 5 films in total on the big screen, of which 2 were shorts (very short!). All classic films watched at the theater were all seen at the Filmoteca, as usual, but this month I had meant to visit another theater, Phenomena, to watch Quo Vadis and The Man Who Knew Too Much but in the end I didn't see them. (Phenomena is a nice vintage cinema that I visited once for Greta Gerwig's Little Women.) Quo Vadis had its screening on a Sunday at noon and I decided to sleep in. They changed the viewing date of The Man Who Knew Too Much to a day I had to work. At the Filmoteca I watched 3 feature films, King Kong, The Incredible Shrinking Man and 7th Heaven, and two shorts, La Grenouille (The Frog) and Le Petit Poucet (Tom Thumb). I missed the screenings of Fantastic Voyage and the silent The Phantom of the Opera because I hadn't checked the calendar and had the viewing dates mixed. Noteworthy is that halfway October the Filmoteca went back to 100% capacity, still with the required face mask.
My Most Watched Actor is Bela Lugosi with 6 films watched: Mark of the Vampire, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Island of Lost Souls, The Death Kiss, Son of Frankenstein and The Ghost of Frankenstein.
My Most Watched Actress is Nan Grey, also with 6 films watched: The Invisible Man Returns, Sea Spoilers, Dracula’s Daughter, Margie, The Under-Pup and The Jury’s Secret.
There were two actors with 4 films watched: Boris Karloff (The Man They Could Not Hang, The Black Room, Behind the Mask, Son of Frankenstein) and Lionel Atwill (Mark of the Vampire, Son of Frankenstein, Murders in the Zoo, The Ghost of Frankenstein). Karloff also had an uncredited appearance in Smart Money.
There were two actresses with 3 films watched: Fay Wray (King Kong, Black Moon, The Jury’s Secret) and Jane Bryan (The Case of the Black Cat, Each Dawn I Die, We Are Not Alone).
Of the following actors I watched 2 films: Lon Chaney Jr. (Dead Man’s Eyes, The Ghost of Frankenstein), James Cagney (Each Dawn I Die, Smart Money), Jack Holt (Behind the Mask, Black Moon), Cedric Hardwicke (The Invisible Man Returns, The Ghost of Frankenstein), Evelyn Ankers (Hold That Ghost, The Ghost of Frankenstein), Paul Kelly (Dead Man’s Eyes, Within the Law) and Lionel Barrymore (Mark of the Vampire, The Devil-Doll).
I watched 5 silents: Un Chien Andalou, La Grenouille, Le Petit Poucet, Ask Father and 7th Heaven. Only 7th Heaven is a feature film.
I watched 7 shorts: The Tell-Tale Heart, Un Chien Andalou, La Grenouille, Le Petit Poucet, Women In Hiding, Ask Father and Buried Loot. 3 of them were talkies: The Tell-Tale Heart, Women In Hiding and Buried Loot.
The films seen at the Filmoteca (King Kong, The Incredible Shrinking Man and 7th Heaven) are the only rewatches of the month.
Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell on the set of 7th Heaven
My highest rated film is 7th Heaven, followed closely by King Kong and The Incredible Shrinking Man. Worthy mentions are The Man They Could Not Hang, The Black Room, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Tell-Tale Heart, Dracula, The Invisible Man Returns, Dracula’s Daughter and Each Dawn I Die.
My lowest rated film is the short La Grenouille (The Frog), followed by Behind the Mask, Le Petit Poucet (Tom Thumb), Dead Man’s Eyes and The Monster and the Girl.
My favourite screen couple is Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell (7th Heaven). Unfortunately there aren't many other romantic couples for me to highlight, but I liked the banter between Marguerite Churchill and Otto Kruger in Dracula's Daughter, also the bickering between Nan Grey and Robert Cummings in The Under-Pup, and Richard Carlson and Evelyn Ankers were cute together in Hold That Ghost. I also really enjoyed James Cagney's chemistry with George Raft (Each Dawn I Die) and Edward G. Robinson (Smart Money).
Breaking the 45 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 2
1910s - 1
1920s - 2
1930s - 25
1940s - 12
1950s - 2
1960s - 1
I had never seen silents from the 1900s and this month I watched two very short ones, on the big screen! Happy to see that all decades are represented.
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; ratings go from ½ to ★★★★★)
MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935) ★★★
Watched: 02.10.2021
Not really scary, this Dracula spoof directed by Tod Browning, although the gothic horror atmosphere is terrific with some truly spooky images, especially those of Bela Lugosi as Count Mora and Carroll Borland as Luna. The plot feels a bit convoluted but the film is overall fun and the set decoration of the castle (art direction by Cedric Gibbons) with the cobwebs and all really sets the mood for Halloween at the end of the month. Luna flying through the window as a bat and then transforming into human form is a great visual. Loved to see the two Lionels together, Lionel Barrymore as a Van Helsing-esque Professor and Lionel Atwill as the Inspector. I also like Elizabeth Allan, she's lovely. Cinematography by the great James Wong Howe and costumes by Adrian. That ending with the unique twist was unexpected but great fun, though I can understand that some viewers might feel it's a huge cop-out. (Gif: Carroll Borland / Photo: Elizabeth Allan and Lionel Barrymore / Gif: Carroll Borland)
Watched: 02.10.2021
Compelling horror film with Boris Karloff playing a scientist experimenting with restoring life to the dead. When he deliberately kills a willing intern/guinea pig, he gets caught and doesn't get the chance to bring the intern back to life. He is convicted for murder and gets sentenced to death by hanging. After his death Karloff's body is entrusted to his assistant who uses the experiment on the dead scientist himself and restores him back to life. Then Karloff's scientist character gets a little mad and goes on a killing spree, taking revenge on the jury and judge who have convicted him. On his death list is also Ann Doran as the intern's girlfriend who sent the cops to Karloff's place on the day her boyfriend was killed. With a short runtime of about an hour, there wasn't a minute wasted and I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Though I never really think of Karloff as a good actor, he really was, and he gives a good performance here. The film was ahead of its time with the scientist character talking about possible heart transplants. I just looked it up and the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation was performed on 3 December 1967. Some nice photography by Benjamin H. Kline with crane shots. Also look out for James Craig as one of the jurors. Blink, and you'll miss him. (Photos: Boris Karloff / Byron Foulger, Boris Karloff, Ann Doran and Stanley Brown / Boris Karloff)
THE BLACK ROOM (1935) ★★★½
Watched: 03.10.2021
An entertaining Gothic horror film with Boris Karloff in a dual role! He gives a good performance as twin brothers, one good (the younger brother) and the other evil. A prophecy foretells that the younger brother will kill the older brother. I was a bit surprised that the older brother really succeeds in killing his younger brother because I had hoped the good brother would save the day and expose his evil twin. Marian Marsh is sweet and pretty but has a boring female lead part. Good use of the split screen, considering this was filmed in the 1930s. (Photos: Boris Karloff / Boris Karloff and Boris Karloff / Gif: Marian Marsh)
MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1932) ★★★½
Watched: 03.10.2021
This pre-code horror film, based on the tale of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe, benefits from the striking and amazing black-and-white photography by Karl Freund (almost the entire film looks good), yet suffers from bland performances by the romantic couple Leon Ames (never seen him this young before) and Sidney Fox and wooden dialogue. Bela Lugosi is fun, though, he's almost a caricature of himself, and I love the eyebrows. Probably the most notable thing here is the shocking torture scene with the girl in Lugosi's laboratory. It's truly gruesome and masterfully shot by DP Freund. I can imagine it wouldn't have passed the Hays Code. Also the finale on the rooftops of Paris is quite exciting. All in all a well-made film, but it could have been so much better with stronger lead performances. (Photo: Bela Lugosi / Gif: Sidney Fox / Photo: Leon Ames and Sidney Fox)
THE DEVIL-DOLL (1936) ★★½
Watched: 04.10.2021
Not really a horror film but there were weird things going on for sure. Lionel Barrymore in drag is horror enough. It became quite tiresome and I preferred him without the wig. His best scene is the final poignant one with Maureen O'Sullivan. She is the best thing this film has to offer, in my opinion. The shrinking of animals and people seemed like an interesting plot point but somehow it wasn't well executed and ultimately this film failed for me. (Photos: Maureen O'Sullivan and Frank Lawton / Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan / Lionel Barrymore)
Watched: 06.10.2021
The best thing by far about this film is the stunning photography by Lucien Ballard. He creates a great atmosphere, cloaking the film in darkness and shadows, and the tension and spookiness derives from the photography and not from plot or performances. Funnily enough this has a Sherlock Holmes vibe with James Ellison playing a Scotland Yard inspector from London, but Ellison is no Sherlock and the film really suffers from his leading role. He's such a boring and uncharismatic actor. It was somewhat surprising that the two leads, Ellison and Heather Angel, had no chemistry at all, even though they didn't play a romantic couple. This is more of a mystery movie than a Wolf Man kind of horror film and I was waiting for the monster to make his appearance, and when he does right at the very end, it was so underwhelming. Watch out for an uncredited Charles McGraw in his film debut (with some lines). (Film poster: James Ellison, Heather Angel and John Howard / Photo: Heather Angel and Halliwell Hobbes)
THE TELL-TALE HEART (1941) ★★★½
Watched: 07.10.2021
Short of only 20 minutes from the MGM studio, directed by Jules Dassin (Night and the City, Brute Force) based on the classic Edgar Allan Poe story about a man committing a murder and going crazy because he keeps hearing the victim's beating heart in his ears. It was surprisingly compelling, and Joseph Schildkraut as the Young Man and Roman Bohnen as the Old Man give good performances. I think it's the creepiest film I've seen so far this month, it was eerie and unsettling. The photography — courtesy of DP Paul Vogel — is great, especially the shot of the light flashing into the old man's eyes. Also the pounding music score accompanying the beating heart was very effective. I think for its short runtime it's a great piece of storytelling. (Photo: Joseph Schildkraut)
ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) ★★★
Watched: 09.10.2021
Based on a story by H.G. Wells, this adventure horror film was entertaining but never reached its full potential. Charles Laughton is great, though, as the mad scientist experimenting with the process of evolution and turning animals into human beings. Being in different stages of their transformation, the creatures are still more animal than human, endowed with the ability to speak, and depicted as scary monsters. Their makeup is handled well. I had seen Bela Lugosi's name in the opening credits but had forgotten about him as nobody looked a bit like him. Then with the end credits I saw he was the Sayer of the Law, unrecognisable with his beasty look. Richard Arlen and Leila Hyams are not very exciting as the leading couple and Kathleen Burke as the Panther Woman was also underwhelming. Stand-out here is the photography by Karl Struss and the use of shadows. (Photos: Charles Laughton and Richard Arlen / Richard Arlen and Leila Hyams / Charles Laughton and Kathleen Burke)
DRACULA (1958) ★★★½
Watched: 09.10.2021
I'm logging this as a newly watched film, although I've seen Dracula films starring Christopher Lee in my childhood (he made quite a few) and this is probably one of the films I saw. The story is a familiar one, and I could still remember the weaknesses of vampires, things Dracula cannot stand: garlic, daylight and a cross or crucifix. I'm mainly watching 1930s and 1940s black-and-white horror films, so this 1950s film was very different. I mean, there was actually bright red blood visible. It was quite creepy, and Lee is a better Dracula than Bela Lugosi (I somehow always find Lugosi more laughable than scary). Lee has very limited screen time and almost no dialogue but he makes the most of his appearance. Peter Cushing has the bigger part and is good as Dr. Van Helsing. I also really liked the actress Melissa Stribling, never heard of her before. (Photos: Christopher Lee / Peter Cushing / Melissa Stribling)
Watched: 09.10.2021
This pre-code film outstays its welcome and should have been shorter. There are too many characters and there's too much going on, which made the whole viewing experience kind of confusing. Still, it was fun. Best thing: great cinematography by Ray June and Robert H. Planck and incredibly inventive camerawork throughout the entire film. Those zoom and tracking shots! Maude Eburne as the maid was very annoying, though. More of an old-dark-house mystery than a horror film, I'd probably watch it again. (Photos: Chester Morris and Una Merkel / Una Merkel and Chance Ward)
BEHIND THE MASK (1932) ★★
Watched: 09.10.2021
More of a crime film than a horror film but there is a mad scientist (at least he looks like one) who leads an organisation dealing in drugs. Jack Holt is a Secret Service agent going undercover in order to expose the operation. Constance Cummings and Boris Karloff provide support as respectively Holt's love interest and one of the bad guys. I love Cummings but she has little to do here and her romance with Holt was a rush job. Holt is an unappealing leading man and he's so stiff. One of the best things here was seeing an early answering machine at work. (Photos: Jack Holt and Boris Karloff / Constance Cummings)
THE DEATH KISS (1932) ★★½
Watched: 10.10.2021
Not a horror film at all. Having Bela Lugosi joining the cast suggests it might be horror, but it's nothing more than a run-of-the-mill mystery story, set in the world of cinema. When a murder takes place on the set, David Manners (as a script writer) is determined to find out who committed the crime and embarks on an investigation of his own. Manners gives a lively performance and looks very good, walking around in his three-piece-suit. I didn't particularly like the leading lady Adrienne Ames and Lugosi's part is quite small. Apparently there is a version with added tinted sections but I watched the version shot entirely in black-and-white. (Photos: David Manners and Adrienne Ames / Bela Lugosi and Adrienne Ames)
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1943) ★★★
Watched: 10.10.2021
Had not expected too much from this drama, classified as horror. Though it's definitely flawed, I still had a good time with it. But the first part is notably stronger than the second, because of Claude Rains who has the most interesting role and gives the best performance. After he makes his first killing and his face is mutilated, Rains disappears from the screen for a while and the other main characters (Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Edgar Barrier) can't really carry this film. Especially Eddy is the weak link here, his leading part is disappointing. Apart from the great music (I love opera), this film benefits largely from the lush Technicolor, the great sets and the beautiful cinematography by Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene. The comic relief provided by Eddy and Barrier as rivaling suitors for Foster's hand becomes tiresome and makes this drama tonally uneven. I'm not really familiar with the original story, so I had to read up on it and this film is certainly no faithful adaptation. The Phantom character in the film is totally different than the one from its source material. Here I was missing the change in Rains' character, how he went from killing someone in a fit of rage to becoming a cold-blooded murderer and killing people without (seemingly) showing emotions at all. I'm really curious to see the silent version with Lon Chaney now. (Screenshots by me: Claude Rains and Susanna Foster / Edgar Barrier, Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy / Claude Rains and Susanna Foster)
THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940) ★★★½
Watched: 10.10.2021
Not as good as its prequel The Invisible Man (1933) starring Claude Rains, but still good fun. Unlike Rains who went on a killing spree, Vincent Price's Invisible Man is more amiable and this sequel is lighter in tone. Not much to say about Nan Grey's role but I like her and she is really pretty. I like Cecil Kellaway's detective too, and Cedric Hardwicke and John Sutton give good support. Great cinematography by Milton Krasner. (Photo: Vincent Price and Nan Grey / Screenshots by me: Nan Grey / Nan Grey and John Sutton)
SEA SPOILERS (1936) ★★½
Watched: 10.10.2021
Taking a break from horror, I watched this rather obscure, low-budget John Wayne film (Wayne made six features for Universal in 1936 – 1937, all of them action films, none of them westerns), for Nan Grey, just because I like her. Though the chemistry between Wayne and Grey is a bit lacking, this is fast-paced entertainment with Wayne in command of a Coast Guard vessel chasing seal poachers. Nothing special but it's nice to see Wayne in an early non-western role and he looks good this young. Unfortunately and not so surprisingly Grey doesn't have much to do. (Photos: John Wayne and Nan Grey / Russell Hicks, Nan Grey and George Humbert / John Wayne and Fuzzy Knight)
UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1929) ★★★
Watched: 11.10.2021
Wanted to watch a silent short and came across this acclaimed surrealist classic, which is even classified as horror. I may have watched this a long time ago in my student days when I did a film course, but I'm not sure, and if I have seen it before, I couldn't remember any of it. Not really traditional horror, more horrific because of its shocking images. Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí meant to make a horrifying film in order to shock audiences. They wanted to create something mysterious and illogical, very much like a dream. Well, they certainly accomplished this. It's funny how your brain works, how you try to make sense of all the weird things going on and try to connect the unrelated sequences, hoping to find a comprehensible narrative. Highlight is the scene where a woman’s eyeball is being sliced open with a razor. And I liked the scene with Fano Messan standing in the street, poking at a severed human hand with her cane. It probably has more to do with the fact that I like the look of Messan, a woman with short hair wearing men's clothes, than because of the scene itself. To say that I really enjoyed this short is an overstatement, but I can see the artistic merit in this and as a surrealist piece it's very intriguing. (Photos: Simone Mareuil / Fano Messan)
DRACULA'S DAUGHTER (1936) ★★★½
Watched: 13.10.2021
I enjoyed this film more than its prequel, the famous Dracula. I loved the story premise about Dracula's daughter wanting to lead a normal life, longing to be released from the curse and her vampire cravings and seeking the help of psychiatrist Otto Kruger. Gloria Holden is great in the titular role, and the way she looks with those mesmerising eyes and how beautifully she's photographed in multiple close-ups only add to the memorability of her performance. Also noteworthy is young Nan Grey's role as Holden's victim. The lesbian context (frequently mentioned among reviewers) is duly noted. I liked the banter between Kruger and his assistant Marguerite Churchill, and again the cinematography (by George Robinson) deserves some worthy praise. All in all, a very entertaining horror film. (Screenshots by me: Gloria Holden / Marguerite Churchill and Otto Kruger / Nan Grey)
Watched: 13.10.2021
Wanted to watch a short film before going to sleep and found this Nan Grey film of 59 minutes. It tells the story of a married couple (Tom Brown and Grey) having trouble with their careers in the music business. This started promising. The opening scene was even funny with the horrible kid in the piano shop sabotaging the piano and Brown encountering problems while visiting customers in their homes in order to collect the debt for their unpaid piano. It derails in the second part, though, with too much silliness and the comic relief provided by Allen Jenkins, Edgar Kennedy and Mischa Auer became tiresome. Yet I still enjoyed most of it and Grey and Brown make a nice couple. Also with a cameo by Andy Devine at the end, which was fortunately very short, since he annoys me most of the time. (Photo: Tom Brown and Nan Grey)
Watched: 15.10.2021
Clearly an attempt by Universal to groom Gloria Jean to be the next Deanna Durbin who, by the time, was entering adulthood. Although Jean has musical talent and is a sweet presence on screen, Deanna Durbin she's not. This film about a girl winning a contest to go to summer camp with girls from rich families is very predictable but it's fun because of the great ensemble cast: Beulah Bondi as the camp's matriarch, Nan Grey (I sought this film out for her) as Bondi's lovely assistant who befriends Jean, Robert Cummings as the fitness instructor, C. Aubrey Smith as Jean's grandfather, Virginia Weidler as one of the camp girls who becomes Jean's best friend, Margaret Lindsay and Paul Cavanagh as Weidler's parents, Raymond Walburn as the rich father of one of the girls, Dickie Moore as Jean's brother and Samuel S. Hinds as the doctor. Unfortunately for Jean she's paired with Weidler who has a more charismatic and better screen presence. I liked Grey and Cummings as a couple and their bickering, and it was nice to see Bondi and Hinds together at the end. (Photos: Beulah Bondi, Nan Grey, Virginia Weidler, Robert Cummings and Raymond Walburn / Nan Grey and Robert Cummings / Gloria Jean and C. Aubrey Smith)
Watched: 15.10.2021
This 3-minute short La Grenouille (The Frog) just happened to be programmed before King Kong (the main reason I went out to the Filmoteca) due to the special dedicated to its director Segundo de Chomón. What can I say? Something to do with a hopping frog and a magic fountain, some nice colours and it was over before I knew it. (Gif by me: The Frog and The Magic Fountain)
KING KONG (1933) ★★★★
Rewatched: 15.10.2021
Had seen this adventure horror film for the first time last year October and what a great experience to be able to see this classic on the big screen at the Filmoteca now, a year later, also in spooky October. I loved it when I first saw it and was actually surprised then how entertaining it was. Despite the dated special effects this film still holds up today, Max Steiner's ominous score is exciting and Fay Wray sure knows how to scream. This time it also struck me what a tragic creature King Kong is. Great piece of entertainment with fast-paced and non-stop thrills! (Photos: King Kong holding Fay Wray / Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot / on set with Fay Wray and director Ernest B. Schoedsack)
BLACK MOON (1934) ★★½
Watched: 16.10.2021
Watched this for Fay Wray. Though I enjoyed this and I liked the atmosphere of the film with the rituals and all, brought about by some nice photography (by Joseph H. August) and music, it never gets really exciting. It just potters along. Dorothy Burgess returns to the island where she was born and raised to face her demons and becomes involved with the voodoo rituals. I never cared much for Jack Holt but I liked his scenes with his daughter Cora Sue Collins, they seemed very natural. Wray plays Holt's secretary in love with him but unfortunately doesn't have a lot to do. (Photos: Fay Wray, Jack Holt and Cora Sue Collins / Dorothy Burgess / Fay Wray)
THE JURY'S SECRET (1938) ★★½
Watched: 16.10.2021
Interesting but familiar story premise of a protagonist committing a murder and having someone else take the rap for it. Kent Taylor plays the lead and not so surprisingly grows a conscience along the way. The film is elevated by a likeable supporting cast: Fay Wray is Taylor's reporter girlfriend, Larry J. Blake is the man charged with the crime, Nan Grey is Blake's girlfriend and Jane Darwell is his mother. Forgettable but enjoyable. (Photos: Nan Grey and Jane Darwell / Fay Wray and Kent Taylor / Nan Grey, Jane Darwell and Larry J. Blake)
LE PETIT POUCET (1909) ★★
Watched: 17.10.2021
This short directed by Segundo de Chomón was shown before the screening of The Incredible Shrinking Man at the Filmoteca and is an adaptation of the famous Tom Thumb classic written by Charles Perrault. It's okay but nothing remarkable. Seen in black-and-white. (Photo: Le Petit Poucet)
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) ★★★★
Rewatched: 17.10.2021
Seen this on the big screen at the Filmoteca. It's one of the more famous classic sci-fi films and with good reason. The story about a man whose body is shrinking after having been exposed to a radioactive cloud is exciting and benefits from the convincing performance of Grant Williams in the leading role. Randy Stuart (a Vera-Ellen look-alike) gives good support as his wife. The scenes where Williams is being attacked by a house cat and a spider are really thrilling. The entire part set in the basement is great, by the way, and plays out as a survival story. Some of the special effects are dated but overall it's well made. I remember the first time I watched this I was really hoping they would find a cure and Williams would grow again and live happily ever after with his loving wife. But the bleak and thought-provoking ending provided here is of course the better one and makes us realise we're all small creatures part of a big universe. (Photos: Grant Williams and Randy Stuart / Grant Williams / Grant Williams and cat)
Watched: 17.10.2021
Came across this short of 22 minutes, part of the Crime Does Not Pay series (never heard of before) and watched this for Marsha Hunt. The story about unwed pregnant mothers finding refuge in a maternity clinic (which turns out to be a shady practice) held some interest but the short runtime really prevented the drama from getting developed properly. It was nice to see Hunt play, though. (Film poster: Women In Hiding / Photo: Marsha Hunt)
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) ★★★
Watched: 19.10.2021
Not as good as its two prequels (Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein) but there's still enough to enjoy here. Foremost the sets look absolutely great and the cinematography by George Robinson is often striking. Basil Rathbone plays Frankenstein's son arriving at his ancestral home in Europe to claim his late father's estate. He also wants to clear his father's reputation and prove his father's experiments were meant to help and not harm. Though Rathbone is a great actor, he's not as believable and convincing in his role as Colin Clive was as Frankenstein the father in the prequels. The real scene-stealer here is Bela Lugosi as Ygor who seems to be having an agenda of his own and uses the monster as a murdering tool. He's a bit over the top but really great. There's not enough of Boris Karloff as the Monster, brought back to life by Rathbone, but the scene where he sees his image in the mirror is truly affecting. Lionel Atwill has a solid supporting part as the one-armed inspector, Josephine Hutchinson as Rathbone's wife is boring, and that kid is plain annoying. Too bad he didn't end up in the sulphur spring. The end scene with the Frankenstein family happily boarding the train was very disappointing. (Screenshots by me: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Basil Rathbone / Basil Rathbone and Josephine Hutchinson / great set design)
DEAD MAN'S EYES (1944) ★★
Watched: 19.10.2021
Part of the Inner Sanctum Mystery series, with Lon Chaney Jr. playing an artist getting blind after a jealous model replaces the eye wash the painter uses after a hard day of work with acid. This entry in the series wasn't very exciting and the performances were pretty lackluster. With a running time of only 64 minutes fortunately it didn't outstay its welcome. (Photos: Jean Parker and Paul Kelly / Lon Chaney Jr. / Lon Chaney Jr. and Jean Parker)
WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935) ★★★
Watched: 19.10.2021
This film really suffers from the leading part by unappealing and uncharismatic Henry Hull. I like Valerie Hobson and just wanted her to end up with Lester Matthews, who in turn isn't very exciting either but still more appealing than Hull. Well, Hobson did end up with Matthews and Hull's fate as the Werewolf was inevitable. The monster's makeup was okay and I liked the fact that Hull's face was still recognisable. This film gave some thrills but it never got really scary because of the comic relief provided by three drunk old ladies. Spring Byington's drunk scene was already enjoyable but the other two ladies (Ethel Griffies and Zeffie Tilbury) were a blast in their scenes together. They were probably the best thing about this film. (Photos: Henry Hull / Henry Hull, Valerie Hobson and Lester Matthews / Spring Byington and Valerie Hobson)
ASK FATHER (1919) ★★★
Watched: 19.10.2021
This Harold Lloyd short becomes more enjoyable once it gets going. Here Lloyd tries to ask the father of the girl he loves (his boss) for her hand in marriage. But the father in question is a very busy man and before Lloyd gets around to it, his girl is already married to someone else. Luckily for Lloyd there is Bebe Daniels (again as his leading lady) as the lovely switchboard operator at the office. I like the repetitive gag with the cushion, the scene with the guns and Lloyd dressing up as a woman and a knight. With a lot of physical comedy, this was a fun watch. (Photo: Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels)
THE CASE OF THE BLACK CAT (1936) ★★½
Watched: 21.10.2021
Crime mystery film with Ricardo Cortez as investigating lawyer Perry Mason. I'm not familiar with Mason's character and have never seen him portrayed by Warren William but Cortez plays Mason in an amusing, smug way. I like Cortez. The mystery plot is a bit convoluted, which doesn't surprise me as they often are in these B-films, and it was kind of curious how Cortez wins the case after giving a rundown of events in the courtroom, revealing the identity of the killer without presenting any evidence and without questioning the witness on the stand. June Travis as Mason's secretary had little to do and was dull (Jane Bryan's role was even bigger) and her interplay with Cortez was limited. The ending was cute, though. And like many reviewers have commented, that cat is not black! (Photos: Ricardo Cortez, Jane Bryan and Carlyle Moore Jr. / Jane Bryan and Ricardo Cortez / Ricardo Cortez, Guy Usher, June Travis and John Sheehan)
MURDERS IN THE ZOO (1933) ★★★
Watched: 21.10.2021
This pre-code horror film is bookended by a memorable opening scene and an equally thrilling finale. (Spoiler ahead!) In the opening scene you see Lionel Atwill in the act of sewing, saying "Mongolian Prince taught me this, Taylor. An ingenius device for the right occasion. You'll never lie to a friend again, and you'll never kiss another man's wife.". You can guess what Atwill has done, but to see his victim in close-up showing the horror of Atwill's act (a stitched mouth!) was truly gruesome. The ending where Atwill gets his comeuppance and is strangled by a boa constrictor is another horrific scene and very well executed. These two scenes could be a forboding for a perfect horror film but unfortunately it isn't. Because there's Charles Ruggles, and as much as I love him, he was totally wrong here. His comic relief was annoying and moreover his character didn't add anything meaningful to the story. Atwill gives a strong and convincing performance, though, he's very good in playing the role of the jealous obsessive husband, using the animals in the zoo to get rid of his rivals. The scene where Kathleen Burke as his wife spies on him and discovers the snake head in the drawer is truly suspenseful and full of atmosphere. Solid support by Randolph Scott and Gail Patrick, providing the romantic subplot. And kudos to Patrick for keeping her cool and recognising danger (Atwill), attacking him, administering the antidote to Scott and calling for help. The scene near the end with the lions and tigers unleashed from their cages and fighting each other was pretty gruesome as well. (Photos: Charles Ruggles and Gail Patrick / Lionel Atwill and Kathleen Burke / Randolph Scott and Gail Patrick)
WATERFRONT (1939) ★★★
Watched: 21.10.2021
This fast-paced Warner Bros crime film clocks in just under an hour and was entertaining throughout. Dennis Morgan in his first leading role (and looking really handsome) plays a quick-tempered character, getting himself into trouble more than once, and is out on revenge after his brother is killed accidentally by Ward Bond. There is a subplot with an Irish priest who is intent on saving Morgan and this part is a bit tiresome. The film's apparently a remake of Taxi! starring James Cagney and it's not so difficult to see why Cagney's a much better fit for the part. Though Morgan really tries, he's not cut out to play a tough guy and doesn't succeed in making his character believable. He gives brooding looks but there's never a sense that he will really fly off the handle. What stood out for me were the women parts. They were not just pretty prop roles, but the women had actually something to do. Not so much Marie Wilson, but Gloria Dickson and Sheila Bromley as the two women standing by their men were great and I also liked the interactions between the two a lot (I like both actresses). Bond as Morgan's opponent also gives good support and does convince in his bad boy role, bringing enough nuance to his character in order to elicit sympathy from the viewer. (Photos: Dennis Morgan and Gloria Dickson / Gloria Dickson and Marie Wilson / Ward Bond and Sheila Bromley)
THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET (1942) ★★½
Watched: 22.10.2021
Enjoyable mystery B-film based on an Edgar Allan Poe story that doesn't have much to do with horror. It was nice to see Maria Montez, one of my dad's favourite actresses. Too bad her role was so small and insignificant and the black-and-white photography didn't show her beauty in full glory. Patric Knowles is normally pretty bland but he is okay in this leading role and gives a more inspired performance. I liked the interplay between the inspector Lloyd Corrigan (he reminded me a bit of Charles Winninger) and the old lady Maria Ouspenskaya and how she shuts him up all the time. Further support by John Litel and Edward Norris and there's some nice moody photography by Elwood Bredell (DP of The Killers). (Photos: Maria Montez and Edward Norris / Patric Knowles and Nell O'Day / Maria Montez and Patric Knowles)
EACH DAWN I DIE (1939) ★★★½
Watched: 22.10.2021
Solid gangster/prison drama from Warner Bros with James Cagney and George Raft heading a strong supporting cast. Cagney plays a reporter framed for manslaughter while being hot on the trail of a corrupt DA. In prison he meets Raft, a racketeer, who eventually helps him track down the culprits. It's an anti-prison film, tackling the inhuman conditions of prisoners when put in solitary. Jane Bryan as Cagney's girlfriend doesn't have a lot of screen time but at least she has one good scene where she visits Raft and pleads with him to help Cagney. Raft, who never had anyone sticking up for him, realises Cagney has stayed loyal to him. Cagney and Raft have great chemistry and give good performances (Cagney is really touching in his emotionel scenes) and their bromance moment at the end got me a bit teary-eyed. (Photo: James Cagney and George Raft / Poster: James Cagney and George Raft / Photo: James Cagney and Jane Bryan)
SMART MONEY (1931) ★★★
Watched: 22.10.2021
This lighthearted pre-code film clearly doesn't have enough James Cagney (watched this for him). It's Edward G. Robinson's show and fortunately I like him a lot too. Being an early talkie I was surprised the dialogue doesn't sound stagy or stilted at all and the acting is pretty natural. There are some dull gambling scenes but the moments Robinson and Cagney share together with their snappy repartee are the highlight of this film for me. Their chemistry is wonderful. Too bad this is the only film they made together. Also, Boris Karloff makes an uncredited appearance and Evalyn Knapp's dress with the bare back is stunning. (Gifs (2): Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney / Photo: James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson look over their scripts on the set of Smart Money)
THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK (1941) ★★★
Watched: 23.10.2021
Peter Lorre plays a Hungarian immigrant whose face is disfigured as a result of a fire. His attempts to find a job are unsuccessful but a cop (Don Beddoe) tries to help him and he is also met with kindness by a thief (George E. Stone) who becomes his friend. He succumbs to a life of crime in order to be able to pay for an operation and in the meantime wears a mask to hide his horrible scarred face. When he falls in love with a blind girl, he has a change of heart and wants to get out of the criminal world. This is labelled as horror (probably because of the mask theme) but it's more of a crime drama with some commentary on the illusion of the American Dream. I'm not really a Peter Lorre fan but I liked his role here and he gives a good performance. Young Evelyn Keyes is lovely as his love interest, though I didn't think the romance was convincing. Also, I thought Lorre's voice sounded kind of creepy and I can imagine someone's voice would be the first thing to attract or repel a blind person. I didn't expect this to have such a bleak ending and to be so sad. With good cinematography by Franz Planer, I overall enjoyed this. (Photos: Peter Lorre and Evelyn Keyes / Peter Lorre / Evelyn Keyes)
WE ARE NOT ALONE (1939) ★★★
Watched: 24.10.2021
Slow-paced and mostly a drag for the first hour but the performances by the leads are strong. In the second part they upped the drama and it became more interesting. I'm not really a fan of Paul Muni but he's convincing as the gentle and absent-minded doctor. I watched this for Jane Bryan who has a rare leading role here. She suited her role well, and her natural acting was enhanced by her natural plain looks. I thought she looked beautiful. Flora Robson as Muni's wife probably gives the strongest performance and brings enough nuance to her part in order to come across as not entirely loathsome. The film suffers from its long running time of almost two hours and could have been a stronger drama if it had been cut short by half an hour. Good supporting cast by Una O'Connor, Henry Daniell, Cecil Kellaway and James Stephenson. The little boy Raymond Severn wasn't bad but I found him a tad annoying. (Photos: Paul Muni and Jane Bryan / Jane Bryan, Paul Muni, Flora Robson and Una O'Connor / on set with Jane Bryan and director Edmund Goulding)
THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1941) ★★
Watched: 25.10.2021
First this seemed like a regular crime gangster film and then all of a sudden it turned into a monster movie. The story premise is a bit silly with George Zucco as a mad scientist wanting to transplant a human brain into the body of a gorilla. Phillip Terry, being sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit, is the donor. The gorilla with Terry's brain then goes on a killing spree, murdering the gang of criminals who forced his sister Ellen Drew into prostitution. There are many familiar faces of character actors and there's also a Randolph Scott look-alike, Rod Cameron. It's obvious the gorilla is a man in a suit (he even has his name in the credits: Charles Gemora) but surprisingly the suit looks pretty good. One of the best things here is the black-and-white noirish photography by Victor Milner and there are also some great shots of the ape monster roaming the rooftops. But what I probably love most is Skipper the Dog who follows the ape around, sensing that his master Terry is still there. Skipper is so cute! (Photos: Rod Cameron, Ellen Drew and Phillip Terry / Skipper the Dog / Ellen Drew and the Monster)
HOLD THAT GHOST (1941) ★★★
Watched: 26.10.2021
Sought out this horror comedy because I saw it recommended on a film blog. It has a slow start with the humour in the restaurant being pretty lame (or I just wasn't in the mood yet for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello) but once the action moves to the haunted house (which our comedy couple has inherited from a gangster boss, just because his will stated that whoever would be with him at the time of his death should get the house) it gets more entertaining. Even though the funny moments are much of the same (and reminded me of The Marx Brothers), fortunately it didn't get tiresome and of course Costello takes most of the credit for these moments. Among the stranded travellers is Joan Davis (a comedian who has annoyed me in Thin Ice), she has great chemistry with Costello and their scenes together are probably the best ones of this movie (notably their dance together and the scene with the moving candle). Spooky humorous moments are provided by the gangsters wanting to scare the people out of the house because the crime boss has hidden the money loot somewhere, and there are musical numbers at the opening and closing of the film. I like The Andrews Sisters but Ted Lewis ... no, not really. Richard Carlson and Evelyn Ankers provide the obligatory romance and it was rather cute, but I didn't like Abbott slapping Costello in the face all the time and belittling him (maybe that's a thing that runs through all of their films). In any case, good fun. (Photos: Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, Bud Abbott, Richard Carlson and Lou Costello / Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joan Davis and Richard Carlson / Bud Abbott, Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers and Lou Costello)
Rewatched: 27.10.2021
Watched this on the big screen with live piano music. It was a great experience! I had seen this silent film before, and though I had loved it the first time I saw it, I loved it even more now. Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell are such a great romantic couple, here the protagonists in a compelling melodramatic love story (Farrell in a rather pompous role as a very remarkable fellow). Love the beautifully shot scene with Farrell and Gaynor climbing up the many stairs to his apartment, and actually all scenes set in the apartment are great. The war scenes are impressive and look realistic, the happy ending is typical Borzage love conquers all fare, and Janet Gaynor is simply breathtaking. (Photos: Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell / on set with Charles Farrell, Janet Gaynor, director Frank Borzage (at wheel), George E. Stone (on roof) and David Butler / Gif: Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell)
THE WITCHES (1966) ★★★
Watched: 30.10.2021
Wanted to catch a few more horror films before the month is over and this October I hadn't seen any from the 1960s yet. I came across this one and it's apparently Joan Fontaine's last film. I like Fontaine so decided to watch it. Her character is traumatised by events in Africa involving a witch doctor (never really explained) and seeks the quiet and tranquility of the English countryside. She gets a job as a teacher and slowly realises things aren't what they seem. The idea of the villagers pertaining to a Satanic sect was appealing but the minute this really manifested itself with the ritual was less engaging and even a bit ridiculous and laughable. Fontaine is by far the best thing about this film, she clearly carries it and has a lot of screen time. She's about fifty here and looks really good (I like her makeup). By the way, in the beginning there were things that reminded me a bit of The Birds, Fontaine going to the small town and asking for directions, the way she's dressed, even her little car sounds like Tippi Hedren's car. Also, at times she looked and sounded very much like her sister Olivia de Havilland. (Screenshot by me: Joan Fontaine / Photos: Alec McCowen and Joan Fontaine / Joan Fontaine and cat)
THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) ★★★
Watched: 30.10.2021
Another Frankenstein sequel, this time with Lon Chaney Jr. playing the monster. He's no Boris Karloff but the makeup job is done really well and his monster looks a lot like Karloff's monster. Though this sequel is more of the same, it's still great fun and looks good, set-wise and photography-wise (cinematography by master DPs Milton Krasner and Elwood Bredell). It's a bit confusing how much Cedric Hardwicke and Lionel Atwill look alike but they fit their roles well. Ralph Bellamy (in a thankless role) and Evelyn Ankers play the romantic couple and the little girl Janet Ann Gallow is cute. But it's Bela Lugosi who steals the show again. He's great as Ygor. (Photos: Evelyn Ankers, Lionel Atwill and Cedric Hardwicke / Janet Ann Gallow, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi / Ralph Bellamy and Evelyn Ankers)
WITHIN THE LAW (1939) ★★★
Watched: 30.10.2021
Watched this for Ruth Hussey in celebration of her 110th birthday (born on 30 October 1911). I really like her and here she plays a feisty character, innocently convicted of grand larceny (jewel theft in the shop where she worked) and imprisoned for three years. Studying law in prison and intent on taking revenge on her former employer (Samuel S. Hinds), upon her release she joins a gang of crooks, helping them doing their shady business within the law. This is an enjoyable watch and an interesting story premise, but becomes a bit weaker once Hussey becomes romantically involved with Hinds' son (for revenge's sake), played by Tom Neal, and of course falls in love with her victim. Hussey gives a good performance and looks really beautiful (she reminds me a bit of Myrna Loy and Rosalind Russell). Best part is her relationship with Rita Johnson, her fellow inmate, and Johnson is great too. Weak link is unexciting Neal, he has no chemistry with Hussey, and their falling in love with each other is never made believable. Other supporting roles by Paul Kelly, William Gargan, Paul Cavanagh, Lynne Carver and Sidney Blackmer. By the way, I just found out this is a remake of Paid with Joan Crawford. Will watch that soon. (Photos: Ruth Hussey and Tom Neal / Rita Johnson and Ruth Hussey / William Gargan, Paul Kelly, Paul Cavanagh, Rita Johnson and Lynne Carver)
BURIED LOOT (1935) ★★½
Watched: 31.10.2021
Wanted to watch a short and came across this one, part of the Crime Does Not Pay series. Robert Taylor plays a bank teller who embezzles a lot of money, confesses and says he has squandered the dough. He has hidden the loot, though, and his plan is to serve the minimum time, to get released on good behaviour and dig up the loot. Not all goes according to plan, of course, because Crime Doesn't Pay. Nothing special but still with a twist I hadn't seen coming and it was nice to see young Taylor play. He would move on to bigger things very soon. (Photos: Robert Taylor / Robert Taylor and Al Hill)
Well, that's another round-up! Very happy with the score of watched films this year until now: 400 films!!! Next month will be another good month for sure as we're entering Noirvember. I love noirs and it will be great to catch up with noirs I haven't seen yet.
