JULY 2023 ROUND-UP

JULY 2023 ROUND-UP

• 2.8.23

TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN JULY: 30 

(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order) 

NEW-TO-ME: 29 (24 features & 5 shorts)  

REWATCHES: 1 

SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 0 

SILENT FILMS: 3 (3 features & 0 shorts)   

ANIMATION: 2 (0 features & 2 shorts) 

MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Gene Nelson (4 in total) 

MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Jeanne Crain (5 in total)

Jeanne Crain, Most Watched Actress of the Month

Decided to do these round-ups in a slightly trimmed down format, something that's less time-consuming. Therefore I will skip the elaborate introduction with life update and film statistics (some stats are at the top of the post anyways) and I'll go straight to the watched films. (I also steered away from K-drama this month!)

NOTE: Keep in mind that the notes on watched films might contain spoilers, so read with caution! Notes contain ratings going from ½ to ★★★★★ and watched date.

JEANNE CRAIN is My Most Watched Actress of the Month. In total I watched 5 of her films of which one is a rewatch. Here are the watched Crain films:

People Will Talk (20th Century-Fox, 1951) is a difficult film to rate. The pace is too slow, it's too talky and the tone is all over the place but it's oddly compelling and funny and I enjoyed it a lot. Not sure how much is meant to be funny, as it also touches upon more serious subjects (e.g. Jeanne Crain's pregnancy out of wedlock and her attempted suicide). Crain (right) and Cary Grant (left) give good performances and to my surprise their pairing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Grant looks very good in his forties! The script is intelligent and well written and I like the ending with the hearing and Grant's mysterious companion (Finlay Currie) revealing his crime. Also solid support by Hume Cronyn, Walter Slezak and Sidney Blackmer. The opening scene with Cronyn and Margaret Hamilton (uncredited) is great, by the way. Not a film I'd likely be visiting again, but it's definitely worth a watch and plenty entertaining. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ★★★½ / 03.07.2023

The premise of Vicki (20th Century-Fox, 1953) is pretty simple: who killed Vicki (Jean Peters, right)? A waitress turned model, Vicki's sudden fame is cut short by her untimely death, and her sister Jeanne Crain (left) and her press agent Elliott Reid cooperate to find her murderer (and fall in love, of course). Based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher and filmed in 1941 under the novel's title, Vicki is a decent noir thriller. Not very exciting but entertaining just the same. I couldn't remember much of the 1941 film — and apparently this is a scene-for-scene remake — except for Laird Cregar as the obsessive and creepy detective. Richard Boone in the same role is not as good as Cregar and occasionally overacts. By the way, I found it confusing how much alike Elliott Reid (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and Max Showalter (from Niagara) look (same blandness). Crain and Peters also look quite similar, and they're both beautiful. Fine photography by Milton Krasner and directed by Harry Horner. ★★★ / 09.07.2023

Elia Kazan's Pinky (20th Century-Fox, 1949) benefits from a strong central performance from Jeanne Crain (left) — the controversy of casting Crain as a light-skinned black woman passing for white is well publicised. It's a film about racial prejudice in the South and for some reason I was never completely emotionally involved (maybe because I was a bit distracted while watching this with my sister and wasn't giving this my full attention). Still, it was an engrossing watch with powerful supporting parts by Ethel Waters (right) and Ethel Barrymore. I didn't really like William Lundigan as Pinky's love interest. Even though he easily accepted Pinky's black heritage, I didn't like how he was almost forcing Pinky to come with him, getting away from the South, not respecting her wishes at all, just selfishly thinking about his own. I was glad Pinky dumped him. The ending with the nursing school for black girls is predictable but welcome. Great moody photography by the acclaimed Joseph MacDonald. ★★★ / 11.07.2023

I remember Apartment for Peggy (20th Century-Fox, 1948) from my youth and liking it a lot. Being on a Jeanne Crain binge I decided to rewatch it. I was glad it's still charming and lovely and Crain (center) is really best in this type of roles. She's girly, a chatterbox, sweet and absolutely delightful (surprisingly never annoying). I love how she was making up statistics all the time. She makes a believable couple with William Holden (left) and also has great rapport with Edmund Gwenn (right), who plays a professor contemplating suicide and finding a purpose in life again after meeting Crain and Holden. This film has a lot of heart, also holding some deeper meaning about life and death. By the way, I spotted Gene Nelson as an extra in one scene. Directed by George Seaton (yes, the same from Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 version with Edmund Gwenn). ★★★½ / 11.07.2023 (rewatch)

I had zero hope for enjoying Hot Rods to Hell (Four-Leaf Productions/ MGM, 1967) and unfortunately it met my low expectations. What a stupid movie! Dana Andrews (right, screenshot by me) and Jeanne Crain (left) — she was the reason to watch this — are two familiar faces and made it a tad more watchable. Yet overall it's over the top, with stupid characters, bad performances and a bad script. At least I felt a strong reaction to this film. The 1960s is my least fave decade (I only watch movies until 1969), and this film has the feel of a TV-movie. I don't like the music nor the film's aesthetics, though I like Crain's outfit with the orange blouse. Luckily I had some laughs, especially when Crain and/or Laurie Mock as her daughter were in a scene. They were both hilariously bad. I wonder what Andrews was thinking when he accepted this role. Also with Mimsy Farmer and directed by John Brahm. ★½ / 13.07.2023

Gene Nelson, Most Watched Actor of the Month

My Most Watched Actor is GENE NELSON with 4 films seen in total. I think Nelson is a very talented and athletic dancer and it's a shame he didn't make a bigger name for himself. Here are the Nelson films:

She’s Back on Broadway (Warner Bros, 1953) is a musical in Warnercolor with forgettable song and dance numbers, though I have to say Gene Nelson (left) elevates every number he's in with his dancing. Rating this higher than it deserves, but I like Virginia Mayo (center) and Steve Cochran (right) together, they have great chemistry as the romantic leads and it's nice to see Cochran nót play a scumbag for a change. The billing is confusing: Nelson is 2nd-billed and has practically nothing to do, Cochran is 4th-billed after Frank Lovejoy and clearly plays the male lead. Also with Patrice Wymore (the third Mrs. Errol Flynn). Directed by Gordon Douglas. NOTE: Steve Cochran and Gene Nelson were two of Mayo's best friends. She made five films with Nelson and six with Cochran. ★★★ / 03.07.2023

I watched She’s Working Her Way Through College (Warner Bros, 1952) for Virginia Mayo (left, screenshot by me) and because it was her favourite film reportedly. I read that she enjoyed doing musicals best because she got to dance. And dance she does here! I like her energy when she dances, obviously having fun, and the pairing with Gene Nelson (right) is great. They have good chemistry, it looks very natural. I liked their song I’ll Be Loving You (Mayo's singing was dubbed) and the dance in the classroom. Absolute highlight of the film is Nelson's dance at the gymnasium. He's an amazing dancer but also soooo athletic. The dance slash acrobatic gymnastics he performs here could never have been done by Fred Astaire and I doubt even whether Gene Kelly could have pulled it off. Just watch it! Furthermore this is an average musical with Ronald Reagan taking the lead as a college professor (he has a drunk scene that goes on for far too long) and Mayo playing a burlesque dancer wanting an education. I thought they would be the romantic couple but Reagan is married to Phyllis Thaxter, and Mayo ends up with Nelson. This has Patrice Wymore again in a supporting part. Also with Don DeFore. Remake of The Male Animal with Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland (I've seen this but cannot remember much of it). Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. ★★★ / 05.07.2023

I looked up non-musical films with Gene Nelson and came across the British sci-fi film Timeslip (Merton Park Studios, 1955). Nelson (left) plays an American science reporter and discovers that the man who was found shot, floating in a river, is an atomic scientist. With a radioactive halo around his body, the radioactivity appears to have put the scientist 7.5 seconds ahead of us in time. I thought it was an interesting concept but the plot element with the industrial espionage ring was less compelling. Best thing was Nelson's rapport with Faith Domergue (right), who plays a photographer working for the same magazine and also happens to be his sweetheart. Fortunately she was not only the love interest but also helped to uncover the spy ring and showed some spunk. There's some fine photography, and Ken Hughes directed. ★★½ / 08.07.2023

Watched Three Sailors and a Girl (Warner Bros, 1953) for Gene Nelson (left) but it's not very good, unfortunately. The production is uninspired, with a pedestrian story and unmemorable musical numbers. I normally like Jane Powell (center) but not so much here. Her first song Kiss Me or I'll Scream is just terrible, sung in a shrill voice. Luckily her soprano skills are put to better use in When It’s Love and Home Is Where the Heart Is, both duets with Gordon MacRae (right). By the way, I love MacRae's voice. Nelson has two great dance numbers: his solo dance at the car garage and his dance with Powell near the end of the film (Powell wearing a yellow dress against a blue backdrop). So there are some moments worth a watch, and if you endured the film till the end, then there is a fun cameo by Burt Lancaster to reward you for your effort. Directed by Roy Del Ruth. NOTE: Powell and Nelson fell in love during filming and started an affair, both being married at the time. They divorced their respective spouses and had plans to wed but in the end Nelson backed out from the romance. ★★ / 14.07.2023

Furthermore I watched another 21 films. Here goes:

Raoul Walsh's Colorado Territory (Warner Bros, 1949) is a western remake of Walsh's own High Sierra. Joel McCrea (right), in the Humphrey Bogart role, plays an outlaw sprung from jail to help with a robbery and he gives a good performance. I like him soooo much, his natural and laid-back style. Virginia Mayo (left), in the female lead, has good chemistry with McCrea, but her brownish face makeup (to make her look part Native American) is pretty distracting. I like her character, though, just like Ida Lupino's in High Sierra. I do prefer High Sierra but this was also very good (was a bit sleepy throughout so have to rewatch some scenes). I had anticipated the tragic ending but still harboured hopes for it to end otherwise. But alas ... The black-and-white cinematography by Sidney Hickox is beautiful, as well as the location shooting. It was filmed along the Denver and Rio Grande Western narrow gauge in South-western Colorado. Also with a very young and pretty Dorothy Malone. ★★★½ / 05.07.2023

The Girl from Jones Beach (Warner Bros, 1949) is completely silly, dated and sexist, but there were still moments of fun. Virginia Mayo (2nd left) is really pretty this young as a prim teacher (she's a language teacher for immigrants), looking desirable in a swimsuit but wanting to be admired for her brain and not her body. Mayo pairs nicely with Ronald Reagan (left) who plays an artist in search of the perfect woman (he paints a pin-up girl who's composed out of 12 women). Reagan is rather bland but he's funny posing as a Czech immigrant and takes classes from Mayo to be near her. Actually, the scenes in the classroom are the best moments of the film. Eddie Bracken (he becomes a bit tiresome — 2nd right), Dona Drake (right), Henry Travers, Florence Bates and Jerome Cowan round out the rest of the cast. Peter Godfrey directed. ★★½ / 06.07.2023

Sought out the western Quantez (Universal, 1957) for Dorothy Malone (right). It's not the usual kind, more of a western noir. With the amount of talking, the use of one setting (which gives it a claustrophobic atmosphere), and lack of action (except for the final scene, the showdown with the Apaches), this almost feels like a play. Some of the dialogue even sounds unnatural. I like the fact that there's little background information given about the main characters — four male robbers and one female, with a posse in hot pursuit and hiding out in a deserted town. As a viewer you need to put the puzzle together yourself but a lot of the pieces remain missing. Still, you get to know the characters a bit better and as a character study this is pretty interesting. Fred MacMurray (left) plays one of the outlaws, level-headed and showing a human side of his character. I love the scene where he and John Gavin massage the legs of the tired horses. I didn't really like Malone's character but fortunately she has a meaty role. What I probably like best is the stunning colour photography by DP Carl E. Guthrie. Love the orangy colour palette! Overall I really enjoyed this film and it also has a satisfying ending. Harry Keller directed. ★★★½ / 09.07.2023

In At Gunpoint (Allied Artists Pictures, 1955) Fred MacMurray (left) plays a friendly general store owner who becomes a local hero after taking a lucky shot and gunning down a notorious bank robber. Yet out of fear for revenge by the gang of bandits, he is shunned by the townspeople who are afraid they will get in the line of fire. It was nice to see Fred MacMurray and Dorothy Malone (right) co-starring again in totally different roles than in the previously watched Quantez, playing man and wife with a son (Tommy Rettig). It was a compelling watch with solid performances but unfortunately Malone is underused. Walter Brennan as Doc has a strong scene where his friend the sheriff has been fatally shot and we see him in a moment of restrained grief. The ending is very reminiscent of High Noon, but here the townspeople do come to our protagonist's aid (after he has given an impassionate speech) instead of letting him confront the bad guys alone. Further support by Skip Homeier, Whit Bissell, Irving Bacon, Jack Lambert, Frank Ferguson and John Qualen. Some nice photography by Ellsworth Fredericks and direction by Alfred L. Werker. ★★★½ / 09.07.2023

Honeymoon Limited (Monogram Pictures, 1935) is my first 1930s film of the month — surprisingly, since the 1930s is my favourite and most watched decade. It's a small and rather unremarkable low-budget B-programmer, elevated by the charms of the leads Neil Hamilton (left) and Irene Hervey (right). They have good chemistry and both also look good. The film is really nothing special but I still enjoyed it, though the romantic ending is silly and forced. Incidentally, the kids June Filmer and Joy Filmer are very cute. Arthur Lubin directed. ★★½ / 13.07.2023

The Cold War thriller Assignment – Paris (Columbia, 1952) starts a bit slow, with too much focus on Dana Andrews (left, as a news reporter with the Herald Tribune) romancing his colleague Märta Torén (center, a Swedish actress with a distinctive Ingrid Bergman-like accent). I actually found Andrews too pushy, almost harassing Torén. Fortunately there's also Audrey Totter as a fashion editor for the same paper and we can always count on Totter to make a film better. Then midway its gets more exciting, less focus on the romance, as Andrews goes to Budapest behind the Iron Curtain and is captured on suspicion of being a spy. There are some thrilling moments and the noirish night photography by Burnett Guffey and Ray Cory is striking. I like the relationships between the people working for the paper: boss George Sanders (right — I like Sanders here, playing a sympathetic and honest character) having a thing for Torén but not letting that get in the way of his professional negotiations for the release of Andrews and exchange him for an escaped Hungarian national who works as a filing clerk for the paper; Totter having a thing for Sanders but still being on amiable terms with Torén (when a bartender asks about what happened to her and Sanders, she says, "Please, Henry. A good bartender lets a customer cry in his own beer"). I liked the last camera shot of Sanders and Totter together, maybe they'll be an item in the future. All in all, an enjoyable watch. Also with some great location shooting in Paris and Budapest. Directed by Robert Parrish. ★★★ / 16.07.2023

Girl Trouble (20th Century-Fox, 1942) is a surprisingly fun watch with Joan Bennett (right) playing a broke New York socialite who rents out her apartment to visiting South American businessman Don Ameche (left). When he appears at her place, she's in the midst of a cleaning session and is mistaken for the maid. Ameche and Bennett have good chemistry and their romance is nice. Probably one of the best scenes is when Joan is making breakfast (from hell!) for Ameche. Also support by the always fun Billie Burke playing a bit of a dimwit. She's hilarious at times. Not a must-see screwball comedy but you won't be sorry if you'd give it a try. Directed by Harold D. Schuster. ★★★½ / 18.07.2023

Sparrows (United Artists/Pickford Corporation, 1926) is my first silent film of the month. It's a great film and a pretty dark one at that. Mary Pickford (center) is the eldest child of a group of orphans, living at a 'baby farm' somewhere hidden in a swamp (this was Mary's last time playing a child — she was 34 years old at the time). They're being used as slaves and mistreated by their cruel master. When the master has some thugs kidnap a toddler (the daughter of a rich man) for ransom and the police is on their trail, he decides to throw the toddler in the swamp. The sequence where Mary and the children escape from the farm, through the swamp filled with alligators, is so tense and thrilling that I was literally holding my breath. Also noteworthy is the visually beautiful dream/vision Mary has when she's in the barn holding the baby in her arms and a Jesus Christ figure appears and takes the child with him. Fortunately there's a feel-good happy ending for Mary and the children and the bad guys get what's coming to them. The great cinematography is a collaboration by Charles Rosher, Karl Struss and Hal Mohr. Directed by William Beaudine and Tom McNamara. (Beaudine and Pickford clashed so often during filming that he turned the picture over to his assistant McNamara.) ★★★★ / 20.07.2023

Watched the silent film Husband Hunters (Tiffany Productions, 1927) for Jean Arthur (left, screenshot by me) who fortunately has a prominent role here and her face is captured in multiple close-ups. The story about chorus girls — who are gold diggers yet rather would be called husband hunters — isn't that special but it's clear what the film's appeal is and Jean delivered. The film was previously considered lost and is preserved at the BFI Film and Television, London. The print itself was clear but unfortunately there is some damage to it so some scenes are not completely intact. There is an unexpected dramatic turn regarding one of the other women but Jean got her happy ending. John G. Adolfi directed. ★★★ / 20.07.2023

The drama The Corn Is Green (Warner Bros, 1945) enjoys the benefits from a strong central performance by Bette Davis (left) as a schoolteacher starting classes in her house in a Welsh coal mining town and recognising John Dall's potential for studying at Oxford university. Though not as powerful as I'd hoped it would be, it still has some good moments, especially between Davis and Dall, and I like the mood and atmosphere, a bit reminiscent of How Green Was My Valley. Dall in his screen debut and Joan Lorring (playing a vicious part, going from an annoying teen to a slutty adult, but her performance is pretty grating and over the top) were both nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and Actress. The ending surprisingly passed the Hays Code. Further support by Nigel Bruce, Rhys Williams and Mildred Dunnock (right). Music score by Max Steiner and cinematography by Sol Polito. Irving Rapper directed. ★★★ / 21.07.2023

Really enjoyed the silent western A Romance of the Redwoods (Artcraft Pictures Corporation/ Paramount, 1917), mainly because of Mary Pickford's (right) winning performance and I don't think I've ever seen her looking this lovely, especially with the straw in her hair. I was glad that for once she didn't play a child character but a young woman. The film tells the story of an outlaw (Elliott Dexter, left) assuming the identity of Pickford's uncle (who got killed in an attack by Indians) and having his 'niece' live with him. It doesn't come as a surprise that this leads to romance, but the romance itself didn't come off well, and I also couldn't make up my mind what I thought about our male lead (who at times reminded me of Matthew Macfadyen). The ending is a bit far-fetched, still I didn't mind that Pickford got her happy ending. Overall I had a good time but maybe I liked this more than it deserves. A lot had also to do with the gorgeous tinted print I watched, a digital reproduction of a 35mm film preserved by the George Eastman Museum. The exterior shots on location with the gigantic and beautiful redwood trees look so good. Cecil B. DeMille directed. ★★★½ / 21.07.2023

Kept my expectations low for the short The Taming of the Snood (Columbia, 1940) with Buster Keaton (center). Fortunately it gets better after a slow start in Keaton's novelty hat shop where he puts on funny hats for customer Dorothy Appleby (left). She's in fact a jewel thief and hides a valuable diamond inside a hat which she has delivered to her high-rise apartment by Keaton. Funny scenes with Keaton and the drunk maid Elsie Ames (right) and a lot of physical comedy ensue. I thought it was well done, though Keaton and Ames seem like a strange comedy couple. There's a great sequence with Keaton falling off a window ledge reminiscent of Harold Lloyd's Safety Last!. With Bruce Bennett as one of the detectives and directed by Jules White. Might check out more of Keaton's Columbia shorts. ★★★ / 22.07.2023

Pound Foolish  (MGM, 1940) is another entry in the Crime Does Not Pay series. Most episodes have actors I'm not familiar with so it's nice to come across an entry with actors I know and like. This one deals with wealthy people avoiding payment of customs duties and it's not very exciting. I liked seeing Neil Hamilton (right, screenshot by me) and Gertrude Michael (she seems to have gained some weight), and I also like Lynne Carver (left). There's little sense of danger and suspense and I always have to laugh a bit how they address the viewer in such a preachy way. Directed by Felix E. Feist. ★★ / 23.07.2023

Normally I don't log TV-films on Letterboxd (I think I have only done this for The Miracle on 34th Street (1955) with Thomas Mitchell as Kris Kringle) but I came across the short film Rookie of the Year (Hal Roach Studios, 1955) online in a good print. It's a half-hour baseball drama directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne (right), Vera Miles, Ward Bond, and Patrick Wayne (left) — noteworthy is that they all would be directed by Ford in The Searchers a year later — and it's not so difficult to see why this appealed to me. Being part of the television anthology series Screen Director's Playhouse, it tells the story of sportswriter Wayne who's out on a scoop and wants to reveal that rookie player Patrick Wayne is actually the son of baseball star Ward Bond who was banned from the sport after a scandal. Because of a plea by Vera Miles, Patrick's girlfriend, Wayne Sr. decides against writing the piece. Wayne Sr. has the meatiest part and is good, Bond has only one small scene, Miles is not very good in the scene where she points the gun at Wayne Sr., but I liked seeing father Wayne and son Wayne sharing screen time together. Reliable support by James Gleason. ★★★ / 23.07.2023

Continuing with Sufferin’ Cats! (MGM/MGM Cartoon Studio, 1943), the 9th cartoon in the Tom and Jerry series. This entry is one of the lesser ones I've seen so far (as I'm rewatching the series in chronological order), but it is still fun, having Jerry (right, screenshot by me) pitting Tom (left) and another cat (first appearance of Meathead) against each other as they fight over him. I think it gets pretty violent, though, with the cats deciding to cut Jerry in half. The devil-on-the-shoulder moment is a great gag. Directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna. ★★★ / 24.07.2023

Totally enjoyed The Lonesome Mouse (MGM/ MGM Cartoon Studio, 1943), the 10th episode from the Tom and Jerry series. When Tom (left, screenshot by me) gets kicked out of the house by Mammy, Jerry (right) enjoys his freedom at first but then gets bored and devises a plan with Tom to get him back into the house. Poor Mammy, who gets tormented as a result. But I love it when Tom and Jerry are on the same side, even though their truce might be short-lived. It's funny and weird to hear them actually talk, both being voiced by William Hanna. A great short with good gags and again gorgeous animation and accompanying music. Directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna. ★★★½ / 24.07.2023

Been meaning to see Massacre (First National Pictures, 1934) for a while, and though this pro-Indian pre-code film has an important message, the film as a whole is a bit underwhelming. Richard Barthelmess (right) is good, though, as the Native American (working in a Wild West show) returning to the reservation of his youth to visit his father's deathbed. He discovers that the basic rights of his people are being violated by the crooked governmental rulers of the reservation and sets out to expose these wrongs. He's being helped by Indian girl Ann Dvorak (left) and Henry O'Neill. You have to look past the obvious bronzed-face of the leading couple, and Barthelmess is more convincing as a Native American than Dvorak. Still, it doesn't really matter what kind of role Dvorak plays because I love her anyway, and here she is plenty feisty. She could have used more screen time but it's not as bad as the little time reserved for Claire Dodd who has practically nothing to do and only appears in one scene. The happy ending for our leads is a bit too neat but I didn't mind much. Further support by Dudley Digges, Sidney Toler, Robert Barrat, Arthur Hohl, Clarence Muse, Samuel S. Hinds (uncredited as the Judge) and Douglass Dumbrille (also uncredited). Directed by Alan Crosland. ★★★ / 26.07.2023

Moonlight Murder (MGM, 1936) starts out a bit messy and I couldn't get into it right away but in the end it proved to be an enjoyable murder mystery with a colourful cast. (I was sleepy throughout, unfortunately, so had to play back scenes all the time.) Chester Morris (right) as the detective and Madge Evans (left) as the scientist make a nice leading couple and have good chemistry. Some reviewers online complain about the opera singing but I didn't mind that there was so much of it. Noteworthy is the beautiful camera shot right after the murder, a shot of the stage taken from above with at the top of the screen a procession of people, moving in a line, some clad in white, while at the same time in the same frame the body is being carried away, covered with a white sheet. Most of these B-mysteries have predictable endings but not this one. I gave an extra half star for the surprise ending. It's original and inventive and I liked it a lot. Support from Leo Carrillo, Frank McHugh, Benita Hume, Grant Mitchell, Katharine Alexander and J. Carrol Naish (in a fun role as a lunatic). Some great photography by Charles G. Clarke and directed by Edwin L. Marin. ★★★ / 27.07.2023

The Crime of the Century (Paramount, 1933) is an enjoyable whodunnit story (albeit a bit convoluted) with a cast of familiar faces: Frances Dee (left, screenshot by me), Jean Hersholt, Wynne Gibson, Stuart Erwin (right), Gordon Westcott, David Landau and Samuel S. Hinds. I'm not really familiar with Robert Elliott as the police captain but I liked him. The most noteworthy thing here is the 1-minute intermission introduced by Arthur Hohl, so the audience can collect their thoughts on the suspects and circumstances and make up their own minds about who the killer is. I like both Wynne Gibson and Frances Dee but Dee's romance with Stuart Erwin was rushed, of course. Directed by William Beaudine. ★★★ / 29.07.2023

The Captain Hates the Sea (Columbia, 1934) was a bit of a disappointment despite the great ensemble cast. I like the story premise of different characters thrown together on board a cruise ship, but I didn't find the various storylines that compelling. I did like John Gilbert (left) and thought his voice sounded okay (this was his last film before his death at age 38 from an alcohol-related heart attack). His acting was pretty natural, probably to do with the fact that playing a drunk didn't require much acting. I also liked Wynne Gibson's (center) subdued performance, and Walter Connolly as the cynical captain who hates the sea and the people aboard his ship is a hoot. There was one scene where I had to laugh out loud: Donald Meek falling forward with his face and long beard in his plate of food. Other cast members: Victor McLaglen (right, first-billed), Alison Skipworth, Helen Vinson, Walter Catlett, Akim Tamiroff (his storyline was shockingly dramatic) and Arthur Treacher. There's some really nice and inventive photography by Joseph H. August (e.g. Gilbert's introduction scene when he gets out of the car) and Lewis Milestone directed. ★★½ / 31.07.2023

Was very sleepy while watching The Garden Murder Case (MGM, 1936), my last film of the month. I sought this one out for Edmund Lowe (left) because I like him a lot and I don't think I ever saw a Philo Vance film before. I just read that there were seventeen full-length feature films about Vance, four of which starred William Powell. Other actors portraying Vance were (among others) Basil Rathbone, Warren William, Paul Lukas, and Edmund Lowe in this film. Powell's The Kennel Murder Case was remade in 1940 with James Stephenson as Vance, updated to an American agent. I have no idea what kind of detective Vance was, what special traits or skills he had. Lowe is suave and debonair as usual but there were no typical trademarks to set Vance apart from the average detective (or I missed them because of sleepiness). Anyway, the film is nothing special but I liked it because of the cast, and Lowe and Virginia Bruce (right) have good chemistry (I liked Bruce here). Further support by Benita Hume, Nat Pendleton, Gene Lockhart, Kent Smith, Grant Mitchell and Frieda Inescort. Edwin L. Marin directed. ★★★ / 31.07.2023

Finally, breaking the 30 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 1
1920s - 2
1930s - 6
1940s - 10
1950s - 10
1960s - 1

See you with the next round-up!