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Post by topbilled on May 28, 2023 7:44:30 GMT
This neglected film is from 1949.
On top of Mount Suribachi
It was February 23, 1945 when two American flags were raised on the island of Iwo Jima by the United States Marine Corps. The first flag to be put in the ground on top of Mount Suribachi was placed there at around 10:30 in the morning. It was greeted by loud cheers from the marines that had just landed in the area.
A short time later the commanding officers decided this flag was too small and thus not visible enough to the men down on the beach. So two hours later they sent another group of men back up on Mount Suribachi to pull out the first flag and replace it with a larger one. The second flag raising occurred at around 1 p.m.
There are no photos of the first flag raising, but the captured shots of the second flag raising have become iconic. Images published in the U.S. two days later helped sell newspapers, and informed how the scene would be reenacted in Republic’s 1949 motion picture.
Today the 1949 film may be looked at as a bit campy by modern day viewers, and it is undoubtedly jingoistic…something viewers in ’49 probably realized but accepted. After all, the country was then in the grips of a cold war against Russia; pro-military films that looked back favorably on the victories of the second world war were not only regarded as patriotic by the moviegoing public, they were also seen as big box office by the Hollywood establishment.
Republic boss Herbert Yates wanted the product that appeared on screen to be as realistic as possible. In order to achieve this result, the studio hired three men involved in the two historic flag-raising events to play themselves in the movie. These men include Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes and John Bradley (though Bradley’s actual participation in the events of February 23, 1945 was later debated by historians). Unfortunately, one of the guys in the first flag raising, who is acknowledged in the movie’s opening credits, Sgt. Ernest Thomas, was killed in action eight days later on March 3, 1945.
Though much of what we see in the finished film is based on fact, there is still a fictionalizing and romanticizing of what happened. Cast in the lead role is John Wayne, who had avoided WWII military service. Years later Wayne would become known as a rightwing advocate of the war in Vietnam.
He was often taken to task by liberal media for his contradictory views, since he was opposed to draft dodgers in the ’60s and ’70s, yet he’d managed to use his connections in the motion picture industry to get out of going to war. In productions like BACK TO BATAAN, THEY WERE EXPENDABLE and SANDS OF IWO JIMA, he would create a pro-war persona that fooled his fans into thinking he was the most patriotic American soldier who ever lived.
Wayne’s costar in this picture is John Agar who did not avoid military duty and had served in the Navy Air Corps and the Army Air Corps. Agar, on loan from David Selznick, previously costarred with Wayne in John Ford’s cavalry western FORT APACHE. So it seemed natural they’d pair up again. Instead of Ford, we have veteran director Allan Dwan calling the shots behind the camera.
The screenwriters for SANDS OF IWO JIMA were Harry Brown and James Edward Grant, who scored a hit with Wayne’s pro-peace effort ANGEL AND THE BADMAN in 1947. Wayne and Grant would collaborate on many projects through the mid-60s. The screenplay for SANDS earned an Oscar nomination.
While Wayne was leading an ensemble cast, he would nab his first Best Actor nomination here. However, he would lose to tough guy Broderick Crawford for ALL THE KING’S MEN. Wayne did not get nominated again for another twenty years, winning for his performance in 1969’s TRUE GRIT.
In addition to Agar, Wayne gets to work alongside two popular Republic pictures contractees. Forrest Tucker, known more for westerns, has a supporting role as one of the soldiers. And Adele Mara, also remembered for her work in westerns, is on hand as a love interest.
Today Mount Suribachi is a calm point on the southwest shore of Iwo Jima that looks like any other lookout spot in the Pacific. But back in 1945 and the years that immediately followed, it was the historic site of a turning point in the war where the raising of the U.S. flag became an important moment in time.
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Post by topbilled on Jun 12, 2023 13:51:11 GMT
This neglected film is from 1947.
Plenty to recommend
Frank Borzage directed stories that had a spiritual bent to them, and were about people making hard choices. When he freelanced at Republic Pictures during the postwar period, he made three films in different genres: one was the musical I’VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU; one was the introspective noir MOONRISE; and one was this film, a drama about horses and gambling. Each title depicts someone who is struggling with a life-changing choice, or set of choices.
In THAT’S MY MAN the person who is struggling most is the character played by Don Ameche. We learn he’s quit his job and decided to go down a new path. But these changes bring with them a great deal of uncertainty.
He meets a girl (Catherine McLeod) one rainy night at a drug store. They share a cab ride, and she learns that he has no place stay. And neither does his, ahem “baby”– an adorable colt he calls Gallant Man. Ameche is good looking and persuasive, and he begins to work his charms on McLeod.
Against her better judgment, McLeod agrees to sneak him and the animal into her low-rent apartment. This initial ‘meet cute’ phase of the relationship is unique, but we know the film is not really going to be a romantic comedy since Ameche’s plan to start over involves getting a job at a nearby stable, raising the colt and becoming the owner of his own stables someday. He doesn’t dream small, and if McLeod wants to sign on to a life with him, it won’t be easy.
The middle section of the film involves the problems they face in their married life. McLeod is soon pregnant, but Ameche’s luck holds with Gallant Man, since the now-grown horse has become a champion racer. Trivia note: the jockey is played by Frankie Darro who often played such roles due to his small size and youthful looks. Second trivia note: Darro had starred in Borzage’s earlier film NO GREATER GLORY.
Despite their successes at the track, the marriage between Ameche and McLeod hits a few big snags because he has a gambling addiction. They face a great deal of debt, when he loses what they’ve won with Gallant Man.
It all reaches a turning point, when Ameche misses the birth of their son; and from there, he becomes less involved in family life. Since this is a story about pride and the value of family, we know Ameche will be forced to do much soul-searching, especially when McLeod asks him to move out and implies she’d like a divorce.
There are a few good subplots. One of these involves a cab driver (Roscoe Karns) who had helped the couple on the night they met. He has continued a friendship with both of them; and plays matchmaker and peacemaker during the ups-and-downs. Karns is also a gambler, but he doesn’t take as many risks as Ameche does.
Another subplot involves a group of men that Ameche plays cards with, when he strays from McLeod. One of the men in the group (John Ridgely) is his former boss who runs a rival stable. Ridgely wants to buy Gallant Man. Of course, Gallant Man is never for sale.
Some viewers may find THAT’S MY MAN a bit too sentimental in spots, but I think that’s part of its charm. A dramatic sequence involving the near-death of the child pours things on thick, but it facilitates a necessary change in Ameche’s character.
I think these stories appealed to moviegoers in the late 1940s. There was hope that the status quo could be reclaimed after nearly losing everything. In this regard, it is an uplifting motion picture with plenty to recommend itself.
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Post by topbilled on Jul 9, 2023 14:24:49 GMT
This neglected film is from 1944.
Jane Frazee and Bobby Driscoll
Ever since I discovered Jane Frazee a few years ago, I’ve been a fan. I knew she had done a series of musicals at Universal during the war years, then had gone to Republic Pictures in the second-half of the 40s. It’s easy to see why she liked working for Herbert Yates’ company and picked Republic in favor of MGM, another studio that offered her a contract.
At Republic Jane Frazee was treated like a queen. She always had nice roles, good songs and above the title billing. Plus she had some really pleasant leading men to work with at Republic. I’m sure she went home after shooting scenes with a smile on her face.
In THE BIG BONANZA there’s plenty to smile about…because there’s plenty to enjoy. Our leading lady gets to act opposite Richard Arlen and Gabby Hayes as a dance hall girl. But she also gets to play mother to seven year old Bobby Driscoll in his first major movie role. The moments they share in this picture are truly special, and you can tell that young Driscoll will go on to do greater things.
His presence in an otherwise routine oater elevates the proceedings considerably. They all act like family to him in a way that seems to go beyond the specifications of the script.
The folks at Paramount, who control the Republic library, have done an amazing job restoring this film. The print quality is outstanding. The outdoor scenes capture the sunlight and shadows perfectly, and a spotless print allows us to see those chiaroscuro effects more clearly.
Anyone who says Yates’ films were made cheaply without any artistic effects is ignorant. One look at THE BIG BONANZA will tell you how much care went into the way performers are lit and photographed in their scenes. And also how they are allowed to let their unique talents shine.
But Jane Frazee is the main attraction here. She can sing (wonderfully I might add), she can dance, and she looks good on screen without trying. A lot of actresses worry about the camera capturing them at their best angle. But Jane Frazee never had to worry. All her angles are good, so the photography just happens to catch her naturally.
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Post by topbilled on Jul 25, 2023 16:11:55 GMT
This neglected film is from 1953.
Always awake
One of the plot points in CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS is how Gig Young’s policeman character makes less than his wife (Paula Raymond) who works outside the home. The script goes out of its way to have her feel guilty about it. She tells her father-in-law she plans to quit her job and that she will be satisfied living on just a policeman’s salary. And love.
Apparently, her success has threatened Young’s sense of pride and masculinity. Besides the blatant sexism, the message is that women like her don’t take on work to pay the household bills like electricity and rent. Instead, they take extra jobs so they can have money to buy new dresses, jewelry and fancy things their working class husbands can’t afford. Raymond’s character is made to realize she’s been “frivolous” taking a good paying job. As a result, she has to right that dreadful wrong!
The other gals in the story face similar problems. Mala Powers is a show girl who seems to be unhappy with her adoring fans, until she decides to marry a guy beneath her station in life. She will gladly turn in her dancing shoes for a pair of comfy old slippers and her provocative outfit for an apron.
Meanwhile Marie Windsor plays the greedy wife of Edward Arnold’s wealthy but crooked attorney. Windsor is definitely not shown in a good light, because she’s not satisfied with the finer things in life her husband provides. She betrays him and gets killed as a result.
While the women deal with the complications in their lives, Young’s character has complications of his own. He has learned that his brother is associating with a criminal and agrees to go along with a plan devised by Arnold. Of course, this compromises Young’s integrity as an officer of the law. During scenes where he drives through the city in a squad car, he is counseled by his “imaginary” partner (Chill Wills).
Other reviewers have said that the Chill Wills character is a spirit or an angel. I am not sure if it’s as simple as that. Rather, I see him as a metaphor in the flesh, as a real-life conscience for Young’s character. As such, this element gives the film something extra and helps make it an outright classic.
CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS is one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite Republic pictures. It is one of the reasons why he partnered with Paramount to re-introduce some of the recently restored Republic titles. He provided wraparound comments when the film premiered on TCM in 2018, then included it as part of a retrospective he facilitated at MoMA in New York City.
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Post by topbilled on Jul 29, 2023 7:09:47 GMT
This neglected film is from 1940.
Chicago gangsters
This programmer was shot on a “B” budget but it earns a B+ or an A- from me. It’s a swell picture, featuring Lloyd Nolan in the lead as a young mouthpiece for the mob. We learn that his character has a tragic backstory, having seen his old man gunned down by police when he was a kid. Growing up without a father, he learned that it is lawyers who profit from these things, so he decides to study criminal law.
Instead of being on the side of good law-abiding folk, he will use the knowledge he’s gained in law school to help a mobster (Barton MacLane) beat the cops. Adding a plot complication is his close friendship with a college roommate (Robert Middleton) which leads to him being “adopted” by the roomie’s rural family. While staying with them on their farm one summer, he falls for his pal’s sister (Lola Lane).
Despite the chance of living a good life with kind and honest people, Nolan refuses to let go of his hatred for the police. So when he returns to the city, he finishes his studies and becomes a lawyer for the mob. We then see him rise up the ranks, running a very posh legal office, helping all sorts of crooks pervert the court of justice, especially his ‘mentor’ MacLane.
The story takes an interesting turn when his old roomie agrees to go undercover for the police. Not exactly to bring him down, but to prove to the police that Nolan may be morally challenged but is not a criminal mastermind. This leads a series of unexpected reversals for both characters, and their brotherly bond is tested to say the least. It all culminates in a big shootout back at the farm, which is used as a hideout. Barton fears Nolan is going to betray him, so he shows up to get rid of loose ends.
The studio ran into trouble when releasing the film in the midwest. Chicago refused to let it be exhibited in its theaters unless Republic changed the name to GANGS OF A CITY. But Chicago is still mentioned several times in the story, and moviegoers would certainly know what city these gangs were running.
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Post by Fading Fast on Jul 29, 2023 12:08:01 GMT
This one goes on the list in part because it just sounds like a good very-of-the-era movie and in part because Lloyd Nolan is one of my favorite "tier two" actors. The guy is pretty much forgotten today, but he had a six-decade career in movies and, then, movies and TV playing the lead or major roles in B movies and, often, significant supporting roles in A pictures.
If you get a chance, check him out in "Somewhere in the Night" from 1946 where he plays a private investigator. His scene with actress Nancy Guild in a Chinese restaurant is incredibly funny in a pitch-perfectly subtle way. He also, IMO anyway, give the mid-50s sudser "Peyton Place" some much needed gravitas. Once you recognize the guy, you'll see that he pops up in an incredible number of movie over many decades.
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Post by sagebrush on Jul 29, 2023 13:16:10 GMT
This one goes on the list in part because it just sounds like a good very-of-the-era movie and in part because Lloyd Nolan is one of my favorite "tier two" actors. The guy is pretty much forgotten today, but he had a six-decade career in movies and, then, movies and TV playing the lead or major roles in B movies and, often, significant supporting roles in A pictures.
If you get a chance, check him out in "Somewhere in the Night" from 1946 where he plays a private investigator. His scene with actress Nancy Guild in a Chinese restaurant is incredibly funny in a pitch-perfectly subtle way. He also, IMO anyway, give the mid-50s sudser "Peyton Place" some much needed gravitas. Once you recognize the guy, you'll see that he pops up in an incredible number of movie over many decades. I agree! I love Lloyd Nolan and I think he elevates any scene he's in. He's also great as Lt. DeGarmont in LADY IN THE LAKE. The first film in which I saw him was A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, as Officer McShane. It was relatively a small part and I thought it might have been toward the beginning of his career, and I was surprised to find he had by that time already appeared in roughly 50 films!
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Post by topbilled on Aug 11, 2023 12:53:14 GMT
This neglected film is from 1954.
The friendship of pioneer women
The film is a combination of several genres and features Vera Ralston in a starring role. Miss Ralston, for those who don’t know, was a former Czech figure skater who’d competed in the Olympics in the late 1930s. She came to America in the early 1940s as part of an Ice Capades revue that toured the U.S. From there she was cast in an ice skating musical at Republic Pictures and caught the eye of the studio’s boss, Herbert Yates.
Yates would eventually marry Vera Ralston in the early 1950s, a short time before THE JUBILEE TRAIL was made. During the intervening period, Yates built Ralston up as more than just a skating star. She was put into a series of high profile, big budget vehicles in a variety of genres. Sometimes Yates would hire people like Maria Ouspenskaya, a renowned acting teacher, to coach Ralston so that her performances would improve.
By the time we reach this picture on Vera Ralston’s filmography, we get a much more confident and assured actress. She was never going to be the next Katharine Hepburn or Bette Davis, but part of her ability to connect with costars and moviegoing audiences was her obvious charm and sincerity. Ralston never played a false note in any genre.
In THE JUBILEE TRAIL she gets to dance, cry and ride horses. The story is part musical, part melodrama and part western. There are a few action sequences, which are quite good, plus there is humor, too. Ralston plays a dance hall girl trying to escape a shady past. She entertains men alongside a gal played by Joan Leslie. They forge a strong bond in New Orleans, then decide to head west to find a better life.
Leslie’s character has a wealthy husband (John Russell). But he fathered a child with another woman, before they were wed. The baby causes complications but becomes a catalyst for change.
The film is based on a bestselling book by Gwen Bristow, and its script is written by Bruce Manning (Bristow’s husband). Even if you haven’t read the book, it is obvious that the finished picture has omitted key chunks of the narrative, presumably to keep costs down since the story is rather epic in scope. Of course, Yates wanted to keep the focus on his wife, not the other characters which means Miss Leslie functions by and large as a supporting player, though her role is technically just as important as Ralston’s.
Some of the omissions cause the film to feel less cohesive than it might otherwise have been. In fact, several liberties have been taken while transferring Bristow’s tale to the big screen. First, a New York prologue is eliminated which would have focused solely on Leslie’s character, before she went to New Orleans and met Ralston. Second, we do not see the death of the woman that gave birth to the illegitimate child, who kills herself and the baby (which was most likely prevented by the production code).
Third, a Russian character is introduced at a southwestern ranch, not in San Francisco where he initially appears in the book. And fourth, the film spends its final half hour in Los Angeles, not San Francisco.
There are other omissions. For example, we do not get a scene in which Joan Leslie’s character learns she’s pregnant. At one point, she has her arm in a sling, though we have no idea why she’s been injured that way. And one action sequence seems to be entirely missing, because in the book, there’s an earthquake. But those scenes were either edited out or were not filmed at all. My guess is those scenes weren’t filmed to keep the production from going over budget.
Despite the imperfections, THE JUBILEE TRAIL is more enjoyable than we might expect it to be. It is told from the point of view of new western females. At its heart, the story celebrates the friendship of pioneer women.
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Post by topbilled on Aug 17, 2023 15:12:58 GMT
This neglected film is from 1956.
A boy with a weapon
As far as late cycle noir goes, this one is certainly engrossing. It was one of Lizabeth Scott’s last films, filmed on location in England with Steve Cochran and Herbert Marshall as her costars. Miss Scott plays the mother of a pre-teen boy (Jon Whiteley) who has been hanging out in some ruins with a group of friends. These ruins are what remains of old buildings that had been bombed by the Nazis during air raids a decade earlier and have not yet been completely cleared off.
We are told that young Erik Jenner (Whiteley) is the product of a relationship between a kind British man and an American woman (Scott). They were married during the war, but the boy’s father was killed a short time later. Elsa Jenner stayed in England to raise her son and has a minimum wage job at a diner. At the beginning of the story, Erik who is what you’d call a latchkey child, is in the ruins with his pals when he discovers a gun lodged in a block of concrete. He is able to pull the gun out, but his friends want to take it from him.
During a skirmish that ensues, Erik accidentally fires the gun and one of the other boys is shot. As a group of adults rush over, Erik takes off with the gun.
Soon a police chief (Marshall) and a fellow detective who is associated with the military (Cochran) are paying Mrs. Jenner a visit. They reveal that the gun Erik found was used in the murder of a soldier at the end of the war. They need to get the gun back. But Mrs. Jenner doesn’t care about the gun, she only wants her son back. Due to their conflicting priorities, she gets off on the wrong foot with Detective Andrews.
Meanwhile, there is an interesting subplot involving a local man Joshua Henry (George Cole). He notifies the police that he saw Erik who is still missing. But unbeknownst to Mrs. Jenner and the detective, this helpful citizen is really the man responsible for the murder of the soldier. It was his weapon that Erik found. He wants to get the gun back before the police catch up with Erik, so he is using the boy’s mother to this end.
Related to this subplot is the presence of a nightclub singer (Nicole Maurey) who could provide testimony against the killer. Not surprisingly she will be bumped off, and she has a very shocking death scene.
There is a great deal of suspense in this 77-minute film. A lot of on-location filming through the streets of London gives the drama added appeal. In addition to the sequences filmed at the site of the old ruins, there are other scenes shot outdoors. Almost all of the scenes with Erik are done away from a movie studio, since he remains on the run for nearly the whole story.
Jon Whiteley had made a film called HUNTED (1952) with Dirk Bogarde in which he and Mr. Bogarde were also on the run, so in some ways this is a natural follow-up for him.
Whiteley earned an honorary juvenile Oscar for his work in another film, and he certainly was one of the cinema’s most technically polished young performers in the 1950s. There is nothing cloying or disingenuous about him on screen, and his work as Erik hits all the right notes. The scene where he is reunited with his mother is beautifully played, and the car crash scene that follows is unexpected and excitingly staged.
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Post by topbilled on Sept 16, 2023 15:43:14 GMT
This neglected film is from 1949.
Steinbeck’s best
THE RED PONY is based on a series of short stories published by John Steinbeck that were collected into a book. It is a motion picture that can easily be watched more than once without losing any value.
This production was only the second one made in Technicolor by Republic Pictures, a studio that had developed its own less expensive color process known as Trucolor. It was one of mogul Herbert Yates’ more important prestige productions, and as such was given a huge budget.
The studio borrowed Robert Mitchum from RKO to play the ranch hand, and hired Myrna Loy to play the no-nonsense but loving mother. Miss Loy just begun to freelance after her long association with MGM and didn’t come cheap.
Additional cast members include Shepperd Strudwick, as the distant father; youngster Peter Miles as Tom, the child protagonist of the story; Margaret Hamilton as his stern schoolteacher and Louis Calhern as the boy’s grandfather. Calhern’s performance, in particular, is one that should have netted a supporting Oscar nomination, if not an actual win.
Besides Technicolor and the splendid cast, the film benefits from a memorable Aaron Copland score as well as Steinbeck’s writing. He adapted his own material and wrote the screenplay. Primarily Steinbeck’s screenplay uses two of the four original short stories, and it involves nostalgia related to the author’s childhood.
There are many picturized stories of a boy and his horse, and some of them are quite average. But this one is well above average. It is notable in the way it captures its rural California setting so perfectly. There are important lessons that occur for young Tom, and as we watch the scenes play out on screen, some of those lessons can be quite painful but they are also life-affirming.
The people and the situations in this film are realistic and their dialogue is natural. They speak like actual folks do. On so many levels this is a very rewarding motion picture, and I cannot recommend it enough.
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Post by topbilled on Sept 27, 2023 21:40:37 GMT
This neglected film is from 1954.
Is her husband still alive?
Republic Pictures was known for its output of bread-and-butter B westerns. But the profits from those successful smaller pictures enabled studio boss Herbert Yates to finance some outstanding ‘A’ pictures in other genres. In this classic film noir from the mid-1950s, the production unit was sent to Honolulu to film an arresting crime tale set along the beach and in the more dangerous parts of an intercity area called Hell’s Half Acre.
In some ways the picture feels like a precursor to TV’s long running Hawaii Five O series starring Jack Lord. Here, the lead police officer is played by Hollywood veteran Keye Luke. He is friends with a man (Wendell Corey) who runs a beachside club and seems to have had a previous life. We don’t find out all the details of Corey’s old life until a woman (played by Evelyn Keyes) flies to the islands on a hunch that her deceased hubby may still be alive…and she’s right.
The backstory is gradually fleshed out. The viewer learns that under a former identity Corey had been married to Keyes for three days back on the mainland, long enough for her to end up pregnant and carry a torch for him for over a decade. Corey was in the navy stationed at Pearl Harbor and was said to have died when the Japanese attacked in late 1941. The reality is that Corey didn’t die, but had his face burned badly. He deserted his military post and recovered, creating a new alias and a new life for himself. His new life involved going into business with a crook (Philip Ahn) who has plenty of underworld connections in Hell’s Half Acre and isn’t afraid to take measures into his own hands.
Though performers like Luke and Ahn are not exactly Polynesian, it does help to see Asian actors in these important ‘local’ roles. In addition to their presence, considerable authenticity is achieved by shooting the story’s exteriors on location in Honolulu, with many exciting action sequences occurring at night.
Adding to the overall success of the film, we have some excellent character actors like Jesse White as a dense thug with a treacherous wife (Marie Windsor). Plus there’s a cabbie who drives Miss Keyes around the city and forms a strong friendship with her. The cabbie is not a male, but a middle-aged woman (Elsa Lanchester). Probably the most effective of these character players is Miss Lanchester whose lighter moments on screen give us some relief from the central plot’s heavier moments.
Besides the swaying palm trees, the real star of the picture is Evelyn Keyes, previously seen in UA’s suspenseful crime thriller 99 RIVER STREET. Miss Keyes is right at home in noir, as a beautiful breath of fresh air who senses danger but always keeps her wits about her.
In this case she’s come to a tropical paradise to reclaim a marriage, only to realize that the man she once loved doesn’t exist anymore. There is no happy ending for Keyes and Corey, since Corey is gunned down at the end. But we know Keyes will return to Los Angeles to marry another man who loves her, and she will give her son a proper upbringing away from all the violence.
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Post by Fading Fast on Sept 27, 2023 21:51:22 GMT
⇧ Wonderful review, what a great cast.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 3, 2023 15:58:07 GMT
This neglected film is from 1953.
All the diamonds in Java
Martin Scorsese is a big fan of this film. In fact, Scorsese is such a fan he was responsible for the picture being restored, and later, for helping screen the restoration at UCLA. He told the audience at the special screening that this is ’50s matinee movie watching in all its glory. The picture certainly does have a Saturday matinee feel to it.
Filmed with Republic’s Trucolor process it overflows with bright green, blue, red and orange. The script is sharply written, and we learn a lot about what makes sailors behave as they do. We’re given the backstory of Fred MacMurray’s character– how he ascended the ranks, was assigned a ship of his own, and how he came to the sea near Java. During his travels he meets Vera Ralston’s “slave girl” and frees her from captivity. Yes, it is one of those kinds of love stories.
The supporting cast of FAIR WIND TO JAVA couldn’t be better. Victor McLaglen, Claude Jarman Jr. and John Russell turn in fine performances as the men under MacMurray’s command. So does Robert Douglas who plays a rival treasure seeker. As their individual tales are told, we get caught up in the excitement. Life at sea is depicted as romantic and adventurous.
What’s a good swashbuckler without rousing fights on board the ship? Or a hunt for diamonds on land that is soon obscured by debris from a very active volcano? The volcanic eruption occurs near the end and symbolizes the passion shared by the main characters. Herbert Yates– Republic’s boss and Miss Ralston’s husband– went all out to present the most spectacular special effects you could ever imagine. There’s a reason Martin Scorsese had this gem restored. It’s worth more than all the diamonds in Java.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 27, 2023 15:28:31 GMT
This neglected film is from 1942.
In the old gold rush days
Some John Wayne films are better than others. This is one of the better ones, made under contract at Republic after he had transitioned from B westerns to big budget ‘A’ fare. It had been three years since Duke had starred in STAGECOACH and DARK COMMAND with Claire Trevor. This time he’s paired with British-American actress Binnie Barnes in a role that Miss Trevor could have done blindfolded.
The story is fairly basic. Duke, slightly miscast as a Bostonian, arrives in northern Cali in the late 1840s hoping to establish himself as a pharmacist. He sets up shop in a bustling pioneer community, after becoming acquainted with a dance hall queen (Barnes) and her rich suitor (Albert Dekker), a land baron. Barnes’ character is intrigued by the handsome east coast transplant, and she goes into business with him on the side, setting up his new drugstore venture for half the profits.
Part of the drama that unfolds involves Dekker’s jealousy and subsequent determination to run our hero out of town. To do this, Dekker has poisoned an elixir that is taken by a local drunk (Emmett Lynn) who dies. Duke’s blamed for the death, accused of incorrectly mixing the potion consumed by Lynn. Duke’s pal (Edgar Kennedy) and Barnes’ lady-in-waiting (Patsy Kelly) know he’s innocent, and so does Barnes. But proving it is an altogether different matter.
While this is going on, a group of settlers are prospecting for gold in a nearby region. This occurs on land that Dekker and his cronies intend to grab. Unfortunately, the miners come down with typhoid and need a pill stocked by Duke back at his pharmacy. All this leads to an exciting action sequence where there’s a showdown in the hills. Dekker is shot in the back and killed by his own greedy brother (Dick Purcell).
At the same time Barnes has helped bring the much-needed medicine to the miners. Duke ends up breaking off his engagement to another woman (Helen Parrish) in order to properly pair up with Barnes at the end. This union is complemented by the union between Kennedy and Kelly, the comic relief couple.
The outdoor sequences for the picture are outstanding, and they convey the main philosophy of the Republic Pictures studio. Namely, that it takes a strong community to stand up to evil forces and come out okay. It’s interesting to note the screenplay was written by two women, both of whom had many credits in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. One of these writers, however, would be blacklisted.
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Post by kims on Oct 27, 2023 20:37:10 GMT
Because you mentioned the comic relief couple, what was the first western to use a comic relief character as one of the major story lines. And why did the concept develop to the point that on Roy Rogers tv show, Gabby Hayes always had a significant part of the show. Marshall Dillion needed rather silly deputies, Festus particularly annoying.
I don't care for westerns with comic relief characters. I like westerns that are also comedies, but the Kennedy/Kelly type of story thread I could live without. I think the writers who used comedic lesser stories in westerns seemed to not have enough story to make a film and needed to add filler. I must be something of a purist about westerns.
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