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Post by topbilled on Oct 26, 2022 17:45:08 GMT
Reviews for Republic Pictures films will be placed here.
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Post by topbilled on Nov 2, 2022 15:41:50 GMT
This neglected film is from 1951.
Adventures of a creole girl
This is a very entertaining action adventure yarn from Republic Pictures. It is really about the adventures, or should I say schemes, of a creole girl in old New Orleans. While Errol Flynn receives top billing as Captain Michael Fabian —Flynn’s box office clout helped finance the project— he is clearly playing a supporting role to French actress Micheline Presle.
She’s the main attraction. As the wife of producer-director William Marshall, it’s understandable she would have such prominence on screen…especially since the picture was filmed in her native France. Mr. Marshall no doubt wanted to present Miss Presle in the most favorable light possible, and for the most part, succeeds.
Presle is playing a saucy servant girl who decides she’s going to have the finer things in life. This includes a fancy manse on St. Charles Street and servants of her own to boss around. Of course, how she zigzags from point A to point B is what makes the picture a guilty pleasure to watch.
Aiding Presle in her efforts at achieving upward mobility is a shrewd relative known as Aunt Jezebel (Agnes Moorehead). Plans take an unexpected turn when a man (Vincent Price) engaged to her employer (Helena Manson) attempts to have a tryst with Presle. Price’s lust for Presle puts him in the wrong place at the wrong time when a strange death occurs.
Price seeks to extricate himself from the scandalous situation. He turns Presle into the police for the crime, while feigning his own innocence. As a result of these machinations, Presle stands trial, and Moorehead looks on frustrated by the dramatic events.
This is when Errol Flynn enters the scene. He’s a well-liked sea captain who’d been cheated in deals hauling cargo for Price and Price’s uncle (Victor Francen). He shows up in the courtroom just as Presle is about to be found guilty and sentenced to hang.
Some of the dialogue is rather amusing. The judge asks Flynn: “Are you a member of the bar?” To which Flynn replies: “No, sir. The only bars I know are slightly more congenial.” Because of witty remarks and his ability to reason with the magistrate, Flynn is able to broker a deal to get Presle off the legal hook. She is then released into Flynn’s temporary custody.
Flynn is attracted to Presle but denies it. He purchases a tavern for her to run with her aunt which she intends to turn into a respectable eatery with the necessary upgrades. Meanwhile, Price’s wedding to Manson moves ahead. On the night that Price’s bachelor party occurs, he and his buddies wind up at Presle’s establishment where they have a big party.
Flynn is away on a voyage, and Presle uses the opportunity to turn Price from the other woman and blackmail him into marrying her instead. She is able to accomplish this feat by luring Price from the tavern to his uncle’s home, where the uncle is killed. It would seem that every time these two get together, someone dies!
Presle helps Price bury the uncle, and they concoct a ruse that the uncle is away on business. Price then marries Presle to keep her quiet. She now has the residence on St. Charles Street she’s been coveting. But it’s a marriage made in hell, complicated by Flynn’s return from sea.
The last section of the film has Price trying to frame Flynn for the uncle’s death. Presle tries to help Flynn, and so does Moorehead who gets killed for her troubles. Flynn is stuck in the slammer, but a spectacular jailbreak sequence allows him to escape through an underground tunnel and return to his ship.
This all leads to Flynn having a showdown with Price on the docks. Flynn’s men fight off the police and try to hoist the sail and take off. Price dies in the skirmish, but not before he’s able to set Flynn’s vessel on fire. Presle arrives at the docks and is caught up in everything that is happening.
The ship’s mast, still ablaze, falls and as it crashes down, it pins Presle underneath. Flynn comes to her rescue but it’s too late.
This is a rousing tale from start to finish. It has an excellent cast, strong production values and not one moment of it is boring.
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 2, 2022 16:04:08 GMT
Excellent review, that sounds like a fun one.
But point of order, in his best days of youth, Flynn was never as buff as he's shown in the movie poster and, by 1951, booze and other excesses made that picture ridiculous.
That said, I'm sure 1951 Errol Flynn had no trouble getting a date. 
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Post by LiamCasey on Nov 2, 2022 16:05:54 GMT
The "Screen Play by Errol Flynn" credit on the poster alone makes me want to see this one. |
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Post by topbilled on Nov 2, 2022 16:58:36 GMT
Excellent review, that sounds like a fun one.
But point of order, in his best days of youth, Flynn was never as buff as he's shown in the movie poster and, by 1951, booze and other excesses made that picture ridiculous.
That said, I'm sure 1951 Errol Flynn had no trouble getting a date.
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Post by topbilled on Nov 2, 2022 17:00:50 GMT
The "Screen Play by Errol Flynn" credit on the poster alone makes me want to see this one.
Paramount, which controls the Republic library, did a wonderful job restoring this film. The sets and costumes are amazing...I gained a newfound appreciation for Agnes Moorehead who steals every scene she's in. There's a hilarious moment when she spits in Vincent Price's face, and you can tell she enjoyed doing that! |
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 2, 2022 17:08:56 GMT
The "Screen Play by Errol Flynn" credit on the poster alone makes me want to see this one.
Paramount, which controls the Republic library, did a wonderful job restoring this film. The sets and costumes are amazing...I gained a newfound appreciation for Agnes Moorehead who steals every scene she's in. There's a hilarious moment when she spits in Vincent Price's face, and you can tell she enjoyed doing that! |
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Post by topbilled on Nov 2, 2022 17:15:20 GMT
Yes, the whole ambience and flavor of the picture suggests the kinds of things we are told Flynn enjoyed off-screen. So it is believable he wrote the story.
Paramount, which controls the Republic library, did a wonderful job restoring this film. The sets and costumes are amazing...I gained a newfound appreciation for Agnes Moorehead who steals every scene she's in. There's a hilarious moment when she spits in Vincent Price's face, and you can tell she enjoyed doing that!
***
On another note, I wanted to mention that Micheline Presle is still alive as I write this...she turned 100 in August. Her credits are impressive, she's had a long and varied career as an actress.
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Post by topbilled on Nov 17, 2022 15:22:06 GMT
This neglected film is from 1952.
Joan Leslie in Arizona
TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA is an interesting “A” western from the folks at Republic Pictures. Since the production code is still in effect, the main characters, who deeply love one another, cannot be together at the end. This is because the woman (Joan Leslie) is still married to someone else.
Miss Leslie made five feature films with Republic after leaving her home studio Warner Brothers. Not all of these assignments were westerns, but the actress does rather nicely in this genre. Her wholesome persona is a good match for singer Vaughn Monroe who stars opposite her.
As for Mr. Monroe, he didn’t appear in many movies since his music career kept him quite busy…but he has a strong presence. In the story he plays a marshal who aids the sheriff (Edgar Buchanan) of an Arizona town.
The lawmen collaborate to bring a vicious criminal mastermind (Victor Jory) and his gang to justice. However, Jory is too smart and manages to evade them with help from two people who fly under the radar.
One is a dance hall queen (Jean Parker) who’s seen better days.
The other is a telegrapher (Harry Morgan) who intercepts wires. Morgan’s character is married to Leslie. The opening sequence had him seemingly die when a group of Apaches attacked a wagon train traveling through the desert. But he ran off, leaving his wife and some poor orphan children behind. He’s been hiding out, helping Jory while wifey’s gone to stay with the marshal.
Leslie and Monroe do well in charming scenes that involve music and the kids in their care. Shades of a Disney movie to be sure. But the code prevents them from outwardly falling in love, as it would make her an adulteress since she’s still technically married to Morgan.
I thought Morgan would be conveniently killed off in a climactic standoff between Monroe and Jory to facilitate a traditional happy ending. Surprisingly, that does not occur. Instead, Leslie vows to stand by Morgan who will be put on trial. This leaves Monroe with the kids and his job, but not the girl.
The best performances are the ones rendered by Joan Leslie and Jean Parker. They both seem to understand their characters’ limitations. Meanwhile, Edgar Buchanan provides his usual charm; and Victor Jory is always an interesting baddie. If you’ve never heard of Vaughn Monroe before, you’re missing out. This film provides a chance to enjoy his unique talents as a western folk singer.
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Post by sagebrush on Nov 17, 2022 22:09:10 GMT
I always enjoy Joan Leslie in a film. She just had a natural ability to make her characters believable.
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Post by topbilled on Nov 18, 2022 0:26:27 GMT
I always enjoy Joan Leslie in a film. She just had a natural ability to make her characters believable. |
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Post by topbilled on Dec 8, 2022 15:33:00 GMT
This neglected film is from 1945.
Christmas at Republic Pictures
I thought I’d cheat and let TCM’s former host Robert Osborne guide my latest classic film review. This title aired on the channel for the very first time on December 24th, 2008. According to archived schedule information, it was repeated on Christmas, the following day.
Since those two initial airings, THE CHEATERS was not rebroadcast on TCM until 2017, after Robert Osborne passed away. Its next airing was in 2020, then again in 2021. Every time the programmers bring it back to the airwaves, I just want to give them a big thank you. It’s a holiday treasure that deserves to be seen every year around this time.
During his original on-air comments Robert Osborne indicated that he was glad TCM was showing viewers THE CHEATERS. He hoped it would become an annual tradition for TCM to broadcast it every December. He called it the best Christmas film nobody’s ever seen. He then mentioned how it was produced by Republic Pictures.
Republic typically specialized in westerns or films in other genres with limited budgets. Many of its most beloved movies starred well-known personalities like Roy Rogers, Judy Canova and John Wayne. THE CHEATERS would be one of the studio’s attempts to make an A-sized holiday film. Mr. Osborne said when it was released in 1945, the film received great reviews. He went on to mention the film’s story, about how it takes place on Christmas Eve.
Joseph Schildkraut plays Anthony Marchand, or Mr. M, the lead character. The actor was already an Oscar recipient for his role in THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, and would later have Broadway success in ‘The Diary of Anne Frank.’ The role of Mr. M was initially intended for John Barrymore at Paramount, but after Barrymore’s death, Paramount sold the story to Republic. Schildkraut read the script and was eager to do it. He gives a multi-layered performance as a cad with a heart.
The supporting cast includes Billie Burke and Eugene Pallette, who play their usual routines…Miss Burke in scatterbrain mode and Mr. Pallette as a blustering but loving family man. Schildkraut’s character is “taken in” by them and their children for the holiday, since he has fallen on hard times due to his ongoing battle with the bottle (definitely a role that Barrymore would have related to).
While staying with the Pidgeon family, Shildkraut helps resolve various domestic conflicts and puts the clan back on track. He also gets his own life in order, when he finds love with another houseguest (Ona Munson). Note for trivia buffs– Munson’s role had originally been intended for Carole Lombard, who died shortly before Barrymore did.
As I rewatched THE CHEATERS recently, it occurred to me just how smooth a job Joe Kane does as director. Typically, he was assigned westerns and action adventure yarns. But he has a talent for the seemingly small but important moments that occur within a troubled family at a pivotal time of year. The scenes flow so effortlessly, that you cannot help but become absorbed in it all. The characters seem like real people whose lives we’ve been invited to look in on for an hour and a half.
My favorite scene is when Mr. M and the Pidgeons are stuck at a snowbound country estate and a group of carolers (St. Luke’s Boys Choir) ride up in sleighs to perform a few songs outside their window. It’s a transcendent moment.
Robert Osborne seemed to feel the same way about this motion picture and the effect it can have on you. He closed his intro by urging viewers to give the film a try because it would make their day merrier.
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Post by BingFan on Dec 8, 2022 22:56:01 GMT
Thanks for the Cheaters review, TopBilled. I agree with you (and Robert Osborne) that this film would be a great addition to TCM’s schedule each holiday season.
I don’t remember hearing that Barrymore and Lombard were the original choices for the roles that Joseph Schildkraut and Ona Munson ultimately played, so thanks for that interesting information. While I’m sure that Barrymore and Lombard would each have done a good job with those parts, I think Munson and, especially, Schildkraut were near perfect in their portrayals.
As you say, Schildkraut gives a multi-layered performance. Near the beginning of the film, the viewer could easily imagine him somehow swindling the Pidgeon family. But he ultimately becomes the hero of the story, showing the others how they might live their lives with more humanity. It’s interesting that in another great Christmas movie — The Shop Around The Corner — Schildkraut is equally successful playing the villain of the story.
The Cheaters really does deserve a regular place on TCM’s holiday schedule and should be given a release on DVD/blu-Ray so that it’s more fully available to existing fans and potential viewers.
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Post by topbilled on Dec 9, 2022 0:10:57 GMT
Thanks for the Cheaters review, TopBilled. I agree with you (and Robert Osborne) that this film would be a great addition to TCM’s schedule each holiday season.
I don’t remember hearing that Barrymore and Lombard were the original choices for the roles that Joseph Schildkraut and Ona Munson ultimately played, so thanks for that interesting information. While I’m sure that Barrymore and Lombard would each have done a good job with those parts, I think Munson and, especially, Schildkraut were near perfect in their portrayals.
As you say, Schildkraut gives a multi-layered performance. Near the beginning of the film, the viewer could easily imagine him somehow swindling the Pidgeon family. But he ultimately becomes the hero of the story, showing the others how they might live their lives with more humanity. It’s interesting that in another great Christmas movie — The Shop Around The Corner — Schildkraut is equally successful playing the villain of the story.
The Cheaters really does deserve a regular place on TCM’s holiday schedule and should be given a release on DVD/blu-Ray so that it’s more fully available to existing fans and potential viewers.
I also thought Mr. M would swindle the Pidgeons...and what's interesting is that the Pidgeons are actually trying to swindle Munson out of her inheritance, so they don't lose their own home. Thus, we have all these schemes and hidden agendas going on in the first two-thirds of the movie...it's kind of a kick to watch them all go off in such crooked directions, then eventually they "see the light" and get into the proper mood of season and practice goodwill.
The entire last sequence at the country estate is brilliant. We really get to know the characters and what is most important to them in that final 20-30 minute stretch of the movie. And what I like so much about how the script is written and how Joe Kane directs it, is how it never once lapses into schmaltz. Yes, there is considerable sentimentality, but the sentiment comes from how the characters turn a corner and correct themselves. So it seems very pure and genuine. |
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Post by sagebrush on Dec 9, 2022 0:29:46 GMT
This neglected film is from 1945.
Christmas at Republic Pictures
Thank you from me too, TopBilled, for reviewing THE CHEATERS. Originally, I watched it because I'm a big fan of Joseph Schildkraut, but I was completely taken in by the film in general. It is interesting that the role of Mr. M was intended for John Barrymore. No doubt he would have been memorable, but Schildkraut's portrayal of Mr M is so complimentary to the other performers, it's hard for me to imagine Barrymore's portrayal would have blended better or as well. |
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