Shorts Collections (2004)Genre : Drama, Thriller
A diverse collection of award-winning shorts by Abigail Severance. Includes Saint Henry, Come Nightfall, Siren, Wake, Bone Wish and Pump. Severance's films combine breath-taking visuals and intriguing characters to create worlds where the fantastic and the real collide.
The Golden Horde (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.5In 1220, a small band of English crusaders arrives at Samarkand in Central Asia, just as the city and its ruling princess are threatened by the hordes of Genghis Khan. Lovely Princess Shalimar hopes to thwart the conqueror by guile, while Sir Guy wants to put up a brave (if ultimately hopeless) fight. Despite a mutual attraction, their conflicting projects threaten any hope of success either might have had alone. Fast-moving; bears little relation to history.
Good role for Ann Blyth
I saw this about five years ago and don't remember the specifics, but I thought that Ann Blyth, whom I've always liked a lot, was very interesting in this role, as a very strong and forthright princess. She also looked beautiful in the costumes. I think she was far superior to the generally frazzled and annoyed Maureen O'Hara, and of course a better actress than campy Maria Montez, and should have been in perhaps a couple more costume dramas/exotic fantasies since she showed here that she had the capabilities of bringing such a character to life.
Western Pacific Agent (1950)iMDB Rating: 5.8Detectives for the Western Pacific Railroad investigate several murders, including one of a railroad payroll agent.
Ahhhh!!!! Not Sid Melton!!!
Lippert Productions made some very low-budget film noir style films. They are generally enjoyable (there are exceptions) but one inexplicable thing detracts from many of them. Burlesque (and grade-z) comic Sid Melton is in most of the films--for absolutely no apparent reason. His had comedy works horribly with this sort of gritty film and you wonder if he was Lippert's son or something! Now I liked Melton on "Green Acres"--here his hokey humor was fine, as the show was a comedy! Here, he only serves to frustrate viewers like me who love noir. Why would they want a kooky eye witness?!?! Apart from Sid, the rest of the movie ain't bad for a B. It tells the story of a nice sociopath who returns to his home town--only to go on a killing and maiming spree. It's a nice portrait of a man without a conscience and they did a pretty good job of telling the story, but it also seems more like a TV episode in quality--especially since every time a stunt was needed, they cut away from the picture!!! Cheap! But otherwise, not bad--and I agree with the reviewer who called this 'film noir lite'--kind of like noir, but a cheap stripped down version.
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.1"Cheaper By the Dozen", based on the real-life story of the Gilbreth family, follows them from Providence, Rhode Island, to Montclair, New Jersey, and details the amusing anecdotes found in large families. Frank Gilbreth, Sr., was a pioneer in the field of motion study, and often used his family as guinea pigs (with amusing and sometimes embarrassing results). He resisted popular culture,railing against his daughters' desires for bobbed hair and comsmetics.
A Kinder, Gentler Hollywood Family
Once again, this is a movie in which the original is better than the re-make, even though the latter was a decent, popular film.
What the two films offered, however, was another stark contrast in how the culture (and Hollywood) has changed. In this original version, unlike today's films: 1 - The father rules the roost; 2 - the kids are nice kids. They actually behave and are respectful; 3 - The general atmosphere is a far more kind and gentle one than scene in today's "family films."
In other words, this is a real throwback to an era of nice family films, when they really were truly that. It reminded me of "Life With Father." If you liked that film, you'd enjoy this.
Clifton Webb was fun to watch as the strict father. Myrna Loy's role as the mother wasn't as much as one would expect. Perhaps if the title hadn't already been taken, this would have been more aptly named "Life With Father" since Loy's part was so minor. The kids were pretty wholesome and believable for that era except Jeanne Crain was far too old to be playing a 17-year-old.
If the film could be described in one word, it would be CHARM. It doesn't provide a lot of big laughs but it's pleasant, and at 86 minutes doesn't overstay its welcome.
The Galloping Major (1951)iMDB Rating: 7.4A syndicate is set up by a horse lover to buy a particular racehorse, but they accidentally buy the wrong horse. The horse is useless on the flat, so they decide to enter him as a jumper.
enjoyable racehorse yarn - bit of an old chestnut!!
Interesting look at a bygone era of the early 50's in the London district of Lambs Green. But today we still love the GG's just like then. Some things never change. I was amazed at the way the bookies communicated with their colleagues in the stands (all line of sight). The film "dry rot" also showed them communicating odds with arm movements - fascinating, I've no idea what they were 'saying'. Seeing the old double decker buses brings back memories. They also had some real old buses that looked prewar as well. Lots of familiar British actors like Basil Radford playing the major and Joyce Grenville and Jimmy Hanley. Not a laugh out loud comedy more a comical drama post- Ealing production that apparently was based on an idea by the actor playing the Major. You can also catch sight of the 'Carry On' star Charles Hawtrey in a bit part. This film runs the gauntlet of emotions when bets of all sorts are involved. Just enjoy the ride and races.
Stage to Tucson (1950)iMDB Rating: 6.3A group of outlaws posing as Southern sympathizers and led secretly by freight-line owner Jim Maroon are raiding stagecoaches, and this is a threat to the Union communications. Grif Holbrook, a trouble-shooter for the Butterfield Stage Line, and Union man Barney Broderick team up to try and put a stop to the activity, when they aren't fighting over the charms of Kate Crocker.
Fast-moving, well-acted B Western
Entertaining Western set in the early months of the Civil War. Stage coaches connecting Union states in the East with Arizona and California are being hijacked by Southern sympathizers. Grif Holbrook (Rod Cameron) and Barney Broderick (Wayne Morris), employees of the stage line, work together to find the hijackers while they compete for the affection of bookkeeper Kate Crocker (Kay Buckley). Plenty of action -- fist fights, gun fights, chase scenes -- and some unexpected humor too, revolving around the rivalry between the two men. Nothing the least bit original here, but plenty of excitement and some laughs as well.
Broken Arrow (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.3By 1870, there has been 10 years of cruel war between settlers and Cochise's Apaches. Ex-soldier Tom Jeffords saves the life of an Apache boy and starts to wonder if Indians are human, after all; soon, he determines to use this chance to make himself an ambassador. Against all odds, his solitary mission into Cochise's stronghold opens a dialogue. Opportunely, the president sends General Howard with orders to conclude peace. But even with Jeffords's luck, the deep grievance and hatred on both sides make tragic failure all too likely.
A thoughtful classic unlike others of its era
Tagline: Of this motion picture the screen can be proud... Today... Tomorrow... A generation from now...
Worth repeating this tagline, because after seeing the film again for the first time in 42 years, it's right on. 50s westerns almost universally depicted Indians as pigeon-English speaking savages... or tried to talk Indian that translated to pigeon-Indian.
While the leading cast is all-Anglo, the perspective is that both sides in the Wild West were had more than a few intelligent, caring individuals among them. A willingness to sacrifice much (including renegades) to achieve a lasting peace is the message.
Jimmy Stewart had something to lose by doing a picture like this, but the acting here stands with any in his career. The portrayal of Cochise by Jeff Chandler is powerful, although unquestionably a little bit too noble-savagish.
"Let's mosey on over there" is a line spoken by Stewart toward the end of the film. Takes you back to a time when people took time to mosey.
A good-hearted picture by a little-known director standing up against the prevailing stereotypes. Wouldn't be surprised if Costner watched it more than once before making "Dances with Wolves".
Border Outlaws (1950)iMDB Rating: 5.7Another in the list of B-westerns made in the early 1950's by the same people (usually changing the name of the production company on each film to get it by the previously-stung exhibitors) and easily avoided if one learns to look out for the names of Spade Cooley or Jack Schwarz. This one has undercover agent Mike Hoskins (Bill Edwards) teaming up with dude ranch proprietor Spade Cooley (Spade Cooley, what else could he play?) to put an end to The Phantom Rider and his seedy gang of diamond smugglers.
the least-bad of Spade Cooley's three western features
The other two westerns that "starred" Spade Cooley--THE SILVER BANDIT and THE KID FROM GOWER GULCH--are usually thought of as some of the worst westerns of the post-World War II era (along with some of the Sunset Carson westerns made in 16mm), and they are. They are as incompetently done on every level as such 30's fodder as THE IRISH GRINGO or LIGHTING BILL (sic) or THE PHANTOM COWBOY. BORDER OUTLAWS, however, is nowhere near as bad. At its best, it's about as good as one of the lower quality entries from Monogram at the same time--say, whatever would be considered the worst Whip Wilson western. Bill Edwards, a too-stoic actor who sounds like he might have been a radio actor before getting into film(although looking up his credits, I see that that is not true--he was a rodeo champ!), is the leading man and hero in the film (by the way, is the Bill Edwards credited for the 1969 experimental film A MARRIED COUPLE the same person??). Spade, of course, plays himself, the jovial owner of a dude ranch. He's actually quite comfortable on screen this time and does not do a bad job. While I fast-forwarded through a few scenes (I initially saw this film back in the 80s) this time around, I think there is only one song, and it's a horrible operetta sounding thing sung (or at least mouthed) by the leading lady in the film, Maria Hart, who had leading roles in a few other z-grade westerns in this period, and whose last credit is Nicholas Ray's THE LUSTY MEN with Robert Mitchum. The film is directed by silent and early-sound action star and stunt whiz Richard Talmadge. He was second-unit director on many big Hollywood productions in the 50s and 60s, but his directing credits are mostly limited to small z-grade productions, including at least one shot in 16mm. I've always loved Talmadge's features (THE SPEED REPORTER being a personal favorite), so it's good to see him do an adequate job here (he also makes a brief appearance for about a second--don't blink!). The film also features his brothers, THE METZETTI BROTHERS acrobatic team, who play ranch hands who for no reason at all work in outrageous acrobatic stunts into every chore they do on the ranch. Those who like this kind of thing should check out some of the films directed by Gianfranco Parolini (aka Frank Kramer), who also puts in irrelevant acrobatic antics where they are not needed (remember RETURN OF SABATA, anyone?). I like this technique--it's like getting a circus act free for the price of the movie ticket! John Laurenz plays the same kind of Hispanic role here as he did in two James Warren westerns as "Chito Rafferty" (paging Chris-Pin Martin!)-- if Mr. Laurenz is himself Hispanic, I apologize, but he doesn't sound very convincing to me. Bud Osborne is his usual reliable self as the sheriff. Overall, this is an average z-grade western, but it's by far the least bad of Spade Cooley's three "starring" westerns. The film actually stars Bill Edwards (who starred in his own z-grade westerns, none of which I've seen), but Cooley's name and notoriety make this better known than any of Edwards' own films. There's not much music here and there's not much camp value, so I can't imagine the film having much appeal beyond fanatics who want to see all the obscure post World War II indie westerns that they can.
Flex (1988)Date Released : 30 May 1988Abodybuilding film starring Harry Grant and Tom Platz. Grant was Mr. Los Angeles and Mr. Southern California, Platz was a Mr. Universe title-holder. Grant plays Vince, personal trainer at a gym in San Diego who wants to open his own gym. To get the money, Vince dates a rich heiress, but gets caught by his former fiancee. Vince's plans for a new gym take a downturn from there, being exposed by all related.
Fort Worth (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.2Southern veteran Ned Britt returns home to Fort Worth after the Civil War with his mentor, newspaperman Ben Garvin, along with his young apprentice, in hopes of building the town into a modern metropolis. However, the area is terrorized by the ruthless Gabe Clevenger and his gang of hired guns. Britt wonders whose side his old friend Blair Lunsford is on. Lunsford has used the unrest to buy up parcels of land on the cheap and hopes to profit from this speculation after the territory is cleaned up and ultimately become governor. Britt sees through his friend's ambition, and they are alternately allies and antagonists. Britt is also distracted by girl-next-door Flora Talbott and and seductive Amy Brooks.
Printer's Devil.
Out of Warner Bros, Fort Worth is directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by John Twist. It stars Randolph Scott, David Brian, Phyllis Thaxter, Helena Carter, Dickie Jones & Ray Teal. A Technicolor production, the exteriors are shot on location at Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles & Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California. Photography is by Sidney Hickox & David Buttolph scores the music.
Former gunfighter Ned Britt (Scott) sets up shop as a newspaper printer in Fort Worth, Texas. But he may have to come out of gunman retirement since a gang of outlaws are intent on running things their way. Not only that but Ned is falling for Flora Talbot (Thaxter), the fiancée of a former friend, Blair Lunsford (Brian).
This was actually Edwin L. Marin's last film before he would sadly pass away the same year. No more than a jobber director, he was, however, very capable in crafting a Western story; particularly when Scott was his leading man. Such is the case here. On first glance the plot has that familiar and unadventurous look to it. Hell, sometimes all we want from our 50s B grade Westerns is Randy Scott taking up arms and slaying some ruffians. Yet Twists' story throws up a number of interesting points of worth, notably the core weapon in the narrative of the pen being mightier than the sword (or 6 shooter in this instance). It also launches itself from an attention grabbing tragedy, from which Scott's character really has to take stock of things once he gets in town.
True enough to say this is more talky and character forming than the many "yeehaw" histrionic based Western B's from the 50s. But this does have enough adrenalin boosting scenes to see off any charge of it being mundane. Train robberies, a stampede, shoot outs and plenty of shifty stalkings put in an appearance. While it also has some extremely cool moments to digest: a switch gun manoeuvre between Scott & Brian is cheekily great; and the sight of Scott finally strapping on his pearl handled guns is akin to Clark Kent donning the red underpants and cape. Seriously. Technically there's some stock footage that only itches rather than hinders (if you have seen Dodge City it's déjà vu), but by and large this is a gorgeous production; one that's got a tremendous transfer on to DVD.
Attention to detail in its narrative and smartly acted by the principals, Fort Worth is well worth the time of the discerning Western fan. 7/10
Under the Paris Sky (1951)iMDB Rating: 7.1The French fifties were great!
It has been often mooted that the Nouvelle Vague was the Second Coming,saving French cinema from tediousness,routine,ennui,mediocrity,you name it.
So on the site n+x comments on Godard and co,and only one on this Duvivier jewel.It's when one sees such marvels one realizes all that the New Wave has deprived French cinema of:the very substance of a film,the telling of a story.And Duvivier comes first for that;here he transcends the film made up of sketches he brilliantly pioneered in the thirties with "un carnet de bal"(1937):he uses now intertwined plots with gusto,and Paris places with taste.All his characters are endearing,and he runs the whole gamut:the young girl coming from her province (Brigitte Auber who will be in Hitchcock's "To catch a thief");you're going to say it's a cliché,but wait and see,you"ll never guess what fate is in store for her,it defies conventions;the old lady and her cats (A marvelous Sylvie),trying to make ends meet;the children who find themselves back on a boat alone on the Seine ;the student who always fails(Daniel Ivernel);a sculptor gone mad;a working man,celebrating his silver wedding,and more,and more....And all that happens in the space of one day under Paris sky (sous le ciel de Paris), all these lives run into each other,or don't,making a whole,under Duvivier's magic wand.
Because magic is the only name that can describe such a treat.Orson Welles used to admire Duvivier,how I understand him!
Captain Blackjack (1950)iMDB Rating: 6.2Bold and attractive, Mike Alexander is an American who smuggles drugs across the Spanish Mediterranean. Ingrid Dekker is in love with him while the double-crossing Emily Birk tries to exploit him, which is also the case of Nikarescu, a shady trafficker. Meanwhile, lurking behind the scenes, is inspector Carnero, waiting patiently until he gets Mike...
Production problems sink film
An early production effort by the Salkind brothers (Superman) this uneasy mixture of neo-realism and and standard actioner was plagued with production problems. Location filming on Majorca dragged on for an incredible seven months. Rushes had to be sent to the mainland for processing so it was impossible to view progress on a daily basis. Some of the post-synching in outdoors scenes is muffled and doesn't seem to match the actors voices in studio sequences.The photography is also uneven, even though the cinematographer Andre Thomas was married to leading lady Patricia Roc some of her close ups are less than flattering. The climax of the film set on two boats is so badly edited that you have a job working out what is going on. George Sanders is completely miscast in an Errol Flynn role whilst poor Pat Roc struggles with an unevenly written part as a Swedish refugee, seeming constantly on the verge of hysterics for no good reason. The technical shortcomings sink a potentially enjoyable film
Where One Stands (2007)iMDB Rating: 2.4Where One Stands: a review
Where to begin? First off, on a scale of 1 – 10, I would fairly rate this movie a solid 2. That of course, is purely out of pity and little more. I knew nothing of this movie going in, but I was immediately able to see right through it.
Truly, what the maker of this movie (Christopher Jones) wants is to have a "showreel" for Hollywood, a vehicle for his big ego and you feel a very big sense of pretentiousness hanging over the entire production because of it.
Christopher Jones, a name you will know well because it is plastered over every facet of the movie and cheaply made DVD, is not what one would call a "typical leading man". Given the number of close-ups he had in the film, it's evident that he thinks himself to be better looking than he really is. There are always exceptions to the "leading man" stereotype (see Jack Black or Adrien Brody), but Christopher Jones lacks what is necessary to carry a film (from what I have seen of his screen work, at least).
To be fair, his acting was not too bad, but the situations were contrived and dialog seemed very forced, as if just there to fill in gaps between redundant montages and over-choreographed fight sequences. Lest we forget the constant shift into slow-motion, as if that is somehow supposed to make a scene more dramatic as opposed to going through the trouble of actually developing the characters.
The script is a mess, I mean really a mess. The story is very incoherent and would take multiple viewings for the viewer to "figure out" just what the heck is going on. I'm unsure of what process was used in developing the script, but it's evident it took a backseat to the fighting aspect and the movie is a complete wreck as a result.
The direction was extremely poor and it's quite obvious that the director just does not know how to make a movie. The pacing is bad as the editing is quite choppy and has no real aesthetic. Visually there is a lot of inconsistency throughout; some scenes will look nicely lit (like in the bar, I recall), while others look outright terrible. This must be due to the 5 or 6 Directors of Photography I saw listed in the head credits.
The camera work is pretty shaky and the compositions are unimpressive. The audio quality is pretty weak, sometimes you just cannot hear what the actors are saying in a given scene. The music is unbelievably cheesy, comprised of little more than a few chords composed by some dweeb noodling on his low-end synthesizer.
Overall, seeing this was a very lackluster experience and I couldn't bear to see it through to the end. I normally don't take the time to write such reviews but if I can spare anyone else out there from wasting their time on this piece of trash as I have, then it's time well spent.
If you love independent cinema, don't be fooled by this one – this movie is just pathetic in every sense imaginable.
I figli di nessuno (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.7The tragic love story between Guido, the owner of a marble quarry and Luisa, the humble daughter of one of his employees, ends up in her giving birth to a baby boy. Giulio's mother is against them: at first she takes her son abroad with an excuse and then has her grandson kidnapped making Luisa think the boy died in a fire.
Nobody's Children
This is pretty much the same as TORMENTO, only a little more so. More suffering, more vicious villains, more Catholic themes. Sanson and Nazzari both return, again as a couple torn apart by a manipulative mother with her own agenda, again with a newborn child who life hangs in the balance. Narrative nuance is pretty much tossed to the wolves, leaving just one sledgehammer tragedy after another. If you like your melodrama cranked up to the limit, this might be the film for you. I found it enjoyable just to see what happens next, but I can't say I was too invested in the characters.
NOBODY'S CHILDREN - 7/10
The Big Hangover (1950)iMDB Rating: 5.9A law school graduate is hired by a top law firm but doesn't tell them about a problem he has--he's so allergic to alcohol that one whiff of it and he passes out like a light.
A film that's unsure of what it is
"The Big Hangover" is a rather unpleasant film that seen today doesn't play well. Acting-wise, the cast is very attractive: a gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor, then 18 years old, Van Johnson, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Percy Waram, and Edgar Buchanan. Johnson plays a law student on the GI bill who's about to graduate. He has an embarrassing problem with alcohol: one taste and he's plastered. He talks to lamps; he thinks his dog is talking to him; he sings loudly at a formal alumni dinner. His boss' daughter, Taylor, who once worked for a psychiatrist, wants to cure him.
All of this has the makings of a comedy, except the film takes a turn with the introduction of a subplot where a Chinese man and his wife are denied an apartment. Johnson believes the matter to be resolved in the man's favor, and then learns that the law firm he works with has lied to him. This has the makings of a good drama, with Johnson having to face some cold facts of life and decide what he wants to stand for in his career.
But as neither comedy nor drama, the film ends up as not much. There's an aggravating scene where one of the good old boy attorneys spikes Johnson's food at the alumni dinner to watch him get plotzed. It's mean-spirited, and it makes you wonder why the other people at the table are laughing.
Despite its excellent cast and good performances, The Big Hangover is more of The Big Waste.
