I started to watch this series on PBS a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is "WOW!!!" I was lucky enough to be around in 1973. In fact '73 was one of the best years of my life! This series brings back some fond memories, especially the music and the cheesy way they used to dress back then! This show is carefully crafted; from the music, the cars, even the "minor" things like the people being clueless about cell phones, PCs, and iPods! Even the televisions are ancient! I got a kick out of the Bobbie who thought a Jeep Cherokee was a "military vehicle"! And the way the main character screams about graduating from the police academy in 1988 and saying that '88 was "Star Trek" compared to 1973! And also the way he said, "You could have at least put me in a year from A.D. not. B.C.!" The irony of it all rests with the young kids today who are just as "clueless" about that way of life just as those living back then would be "clueless" about today's technology and changes. Highly entertaining, refreshing for us "old folks" and tremendously recommended to everyone!
Reviews
19 Reviews
Devil Dog Dawson
(1921)
A rare treat to watch
25 December 2009
I saw the same episode on History Detectives. Originally the detective tracked down the principal as Ed Polo, a big star of silent westerns who is all but forgotten. Some excellent sleuth work on the part of the History Detectives revealed that this film was made from stock produced in 1921 by Kodak. They then traced the film to that same year and discovered through visual identification that the actor was indeed Jack Hoxie, another famous western star of the silent screen. Helen Rossen made her only appearance with Hoxie in this film so the mystery of the 38 second movie was solved. It is a shame that over 90% of movies made before 1951 were made from nitrate which is flammable or degrades quite rapidly. Also, many of the movie theaters back then did not have to return the films so many of them were thrown away.
I'm Dickens, He's Fenster
(1962–1963)
A great show from a great era!
18 November 2009
Yes, 1962 was part of that great golden era of television when creativity was crisp and original. Like "The Honeymooners", "I'm Dickens He's Fenster" was a short-lived comedy that should have lasted much longer. I was eight years old when this program aired on ABC and watched it every week (I think it was on a Friday night right after the Flintstones). I always remembered the ending that showed their tools, but thought that they used to hang on a pegboard. I was wrong; looking at YouTube, they're scattered about.
I also learned that this program outdrew the competition of NBC's "Sing Along with Mitch" and CBS's "Route 66". The latter program was extremely popular, by the way.
I finally got the chance to view some of the shows on YouTube and couldn't get over how fresh this program was. The opening tune resembled Laurel and Hardy's introductory music and that was understandably so since Leonard Stern was a huge admirer of that comedy duo. It was also refreshing to know that Stan Laurel was a great fan of the show. It's unfortunate that he wasn't instrumental in attempting to influence the executives of ABC to keep this show on the air.
Two things should be done: 1) this show SHOULD be on DVD and 2) there should be an attempt to redo this program for modern TV. The possibility of seeing it on DVD is very real, but redoing it probably is not a realistic move since modern television could never duplicate the originality of it.
Please join Imdickenshesfenster.com to make this show a reality on DVD.
I also learned that this program outdrew the competition of NBC's "Sing Along with Mitch" and CBS's "Route 66". The latter program was extremely popular, by the way.
I finally got the chance to view some of the shows on YouTube and couldn't get over how fresh this program was. The opening tune resembled Laurel and Hardy's introductory music and that was understandably so since Leonard Stern was a huge admirer of that comedy duo. It was also refreshing to know that Stan Laurel was a great fan of the show. It's unfortunate that he wasn't instrumental in attempting to influence the executives of ABC to keep this show on the air.
Two things should be done: 1) this show SHOULD be on DVD and 2) there should be an attempt to redo this program for modern TV. The possibility of seeing it on DVD is very real, but redoing it probably is not a realistic move since modern television could never duplicate the originality of it.
Please join Imdickenshesfenster.com to make this show a reality on DVD.
Help!
(1965)
A brief glimpse into the end of an era of "innocence"
24 February 2008
Of all the various Beatles transformations out there, I have to admit that I liked them best from late 1964 to mid-1966. During this era, they morphed from the "innocent" fab four into the pre-mystical Beatles that came about in late 1965 with the advent of their wonderful "Rubber Soul" lp.
Yes, I loved these guys from this era of time. If you're old enough to have experienced the British Invasion, then you can show an appreciation of how the music once was: short and sweet. To put it simply, most pop music that came out of this era was short (around 2 minutes and 30 seconds) and sweet enough to reveal a new type of rock n' roll that never existed before the advent of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Chad and Jeremy, the Dave Clark 5, etc, etc, etc.
It's too bad that this era didn't last long enough for us to enjoy. Before you knew it, it was gone like a morning mist. Even the American versions of garage rock, like Gary Lewis & the Playboys and the Turtles disappeared as discontent with the establishment and Vietnam sapped all of the collective innocence out of us.
It was an era of music that was, in essence, non-political; Beatles music, as well as other bands, were geared toward boy-girl love relationships and that was all. Barry McGuire then blew us out of the water with his "Eve of Destruction" around September, 1965. This, of course, caught the Beatles by surprise and they quickly changed their music from the typical "love songs" and became more creative in their talents by releasing "Day Tripper" with "We Can Work It Out" as a flip side.
"Help!" is a remnant of the final days of "innocence", when Vietnam was just entering the nightly news night after night after night and when the domestic disturbances on college campuses and ghettos was coming to a head.
This is what "Help!" represents to those who study this era. It was still a time when we could still help to avoid the problems that were beginning to plague American culture, society and politics. It still showed the Beatles as innocent and fun-loving mop tops that many people still prefer over their re-emergence as mystical, drug-experimenting replacements two years hence. I know that I still prefer them as innocent mop tops, but reality has shown that they were far from innocent even during their early days in Hamburg.
All that aside, this is still my favorite era of Beatledom.
Yes, I loved these guys from this era of time. If you're old enough to have experienced the British Invasion, then you can show an appreciation of how the music once was: short and sweet. To put it simply, most pop music that came out of this era was short (around 2 minutes and 30 seconds) and sweet enough to reveal a new type of rock n' roll that never existed before the advent of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Chad and Jeremy, the Dave Clark 5, etc, etc, etc.
It's too bad that this era didn't last long enough for us to enjoy. Before you knew it, it was gone like a morning mist. Even the American versions of garage rock, like Gary Lewis & the Playboys and the Turtles disappeared as discontent with the establishment and Vietnam sapped all of the collective innocence out of us.
It was an era of music that was, in essence, non-political; Beatles music, as well as other bands, were geared toward boy-girl love relationships and that was all. Barry McGuire then blew us out of the water with his "Eve of Destruction" around September, 1965. This, of course, caught the Beatles by surprise and they quickly changed their music from the typical "love songs" and became more creative in their talents by releasing "Day Tripper" with "We Can Work It Out" as a flip side.
"Help!" is a remnant of the final days of "innocence", when Vietnam was just entering the nightly news night after night after night and when the domestic disturbances on college campuses and ghettos was coming to a head.
This is what "Help!" represents to those who study this era. It was still a time when we could still help to avoid the problems that were beginning to plague American culture, society and politics. It still showed the Beatles as innocent and fun-loving mop tops that many people still prefer over their re-emergence as mystical, drug-experimenting replacements two years hence. I know that I still prefer them as innocent mop tops, but reality has shown that they were far from innocent even during their early days in Hamburg.
All that aside, this is still my favorite era of Beatledom.
Edge of the City
(1957)
Wow!
21 January 2008
I cry at a lot of movies. Call me sentimental. Call me one of those viewers who always likes to see a happy ending. This movie, though it has a sad ending, was great! Of all of the actors that I would love to have lunch with, it would be Sidney Poitier. His acting, along with John Cassavetes and Jack Warden (of 12 Angry Men fame)is stellar. His character, who befriends a man on the run (Cassavetes) and helps him out in every way possible is incredible.
This is another one of those forgotten noirs made during the end of the noirish era. It is well done, has a superb cast, extremely talented acting, and great cinematography. It is a film worth watching over and over again. I highly recommend this one! This is just another truly great film done by Mr. Poitier and should be sold on DVD. Even though I cried, kudos to such great art!
This is another one of those forgotten noirs made during the end of the noirish era. It is well done, has a superb cast, extremely talented acting, and great cinematography. It is a film worth watching over and over again. I highly recommend this one! This is just another truly great film done by Mr. Poitier and should be sold on DVD. Even though I cried, kudos to such great art!
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
(1952–1966)
Not exactly the Beav, but still a piece of television history
21 January 2008
I remember watching "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" back in the late 50's and early 60's. This was just one of those family sitcoms that spanned the decade, the others being Donna Reed, My Three Sons, Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver. When I was around 6 years old, I couldn't wait to see these programs. Ozzie and Harriet, to the best of my knowledge, is not even syndicated anymore. Leave it to Beaver, though, is the quintessential family sitcom from this era. I think that the latter outshines the former for a couple of reasons. First of all, the cast on Leave it to Beaver stayed fairly static; there was very little change in the makeup of the cast; one could expect the likes of Eddie Haskell to appear in every show and everyone loved it.
The fluidity of Ozzie and Harriet's cast in it's final years is compared with My Three Son's cast; both added wives to the cast, but by the mid 60's, this signaled an end to both of these shows. Also, Skip Young was sort of too old to play a fraternity brother of the Nelson brothers (by 1963 he was "only" 33 years old... kind of too old for an undergrad, but, perhaps, could have been cast at the very least as an associate Professor). By contrast, Leave it to Beaver didn't suffer this flaw; the cast remained the same; Lumpy Rutherford stayed as Lumpy Rutherford and was a contemporary of Wally's. Same deal with Gilbert, Toohey, et al with the Beav.
Secondly, Ward Cleaver's homespun wisdom far outshone that of Ozzie. In fact, Ozzie always looked sort of stilted on camera, so he wasn't as believable as Hugh Beaumont, Fred MacMurray or Robert Young.
However, I am partial here. Leave it to Beaver is by far my favorite family sitcom from this era. Ozzie pales to the likes of the Beav. Sorry.
The fluidity of Ozzie and Harriet's cast in it's final years is compared with My Three Son's cast; both added wives to the cast, but by the mid 60's, this signaled an end to both of these shows. Also, Skip Young was sort of too old to play a fraternity brother of the Nelson brothers (by 1963 he was "only" 33 years old... kind of too old for an undergrad, but, perhaps, could have been cast at the very least as an associate Professor). By contrast, Leave it to Beaver didn't suffer this flaw; the cast remained the same; Lumpy Rutherford stayed as Lumpy Rutherford and was a contemporary of Wally's. Same deal with Gilbert, Toohey, et al with the Beav.
Secondly, Ward Cleaver's homespun wisdom far outshone that of Ozzie. In fact, Ozzie always looked sort of stilted on camera, so he wasn't as believable as Hugh Beaumont, Fred MacMurray or Robert Young.
However, I am partial here. Leave it to Beaver is by far my favorite family sitcom from this era. Ozzie pales to the likes of the Beav. Sorry.
The Hoaxters
(1952)
An interesting historical piece that is reflective of it's era
30 November 2007
I first had the privilege of watching The Hoaxters in 1974. My roommate in college actually had a 16mm print of this one reeler and I was captivated by it's effectiveness in propaganda. This is an interesting historical relic that is reflective of the era that it came out of. This film was produced during the height of the McCarthy "Red Scare" years and was a fitting example of Hollywood's fear of the House on Unamerican Committee "witch hunts". 1952 was a completely different world in contrast to how we live in this country today. People were more reverent then; their moral scruples were more intact and we must remember that we just emerged victorious from the Second World War and were then fighting the Korean War, so nationalism was more prevalent; respect for the flag and country was almost an anticipated action; no flag burning then! There is so much to comment on the mentality of the early 1950's.
If we were to become suddenly sucked into some time vortex and transported back to this era, we would probably go mad because of stricter standards demanded of us not only by government, be it local, State or Federal, but by our respective religious beliefs as well as the people around us who would demand that we conform to their thinking. Morals were stronger, religion had a firmer, influential hold and most people respected the authorities. This film demonstrates this and more. It also demonstrated fear; the fear of Communism was real; people felt that World War III would break out at any moment; the fear was valid; the fear was reflective in our leaders as well as the common man. And it was in this fear-driven time that Joseph McCarthy made a name for himself by using this fear to ruin many innocent lives.
MGM did a marvelous job producing this film. The voices of Walter Pidgeon and George Murphy are easily recognized; the animation is quite entertaining, especially when it showed the Swastika turning into a map of Germany or the dragon changing into the Japanese islands. Remember, these images were stronger in the minds of those who saw this film in 1952, because it was just seven years after these totalitarian regimes were defeated. Korea further exacerbated these feelings; it was the duty of every God-fearing American to struggle against those who wanted to enslave the free world.
The Hoaxters didn't just reflect the mentality of the times, but it also permitted those in Hollywood to pledge their allegiance (to a lesser degree compared to World War II) against a foe. This was partly due to nationalism, but mainly due to the fear of blacklisting by the HUAC. All in all, a great historical chestnut.
If we were to become suddenly sucked into some time vortex and transported back to this era, we would probably go mad because of stricter standards demanded of us not only by government, be it local, State or Federal, but by our respective religious beliefs as well as the people around us who would demand that we conform to their thinking. Morals were stronger, religion had a firmer, influential hold and most people respected the authorities. This film demonstrates this and more. It also demonstrated fear; the fear of Communism was real; people felt that World War III would break out at any moment; the fear was valid; the fear was reflective in our leaders as well as the common man. And it was in this fear-driven time that Joseph McCarthy made a name for himself by using this fear to ruin many innocent lives.
MGM did a marvelous job producing this film. The voices of Walter Pidgeon and George Murphy are easily recognized; the animation is quite entertaining, especially when it showed the Swastika turning into a map of Germany or the dragon changing into the Japanese islands. Remember, these images were stronger in the minds of those who saw this film in 1952, because it was just seven years after these totalitarian regimes were defeated. Korea further exacerbated these feelings; it was the duty of every God-fearing American to struggle against those who wanted to enslave the free world.
The Hoaxters didn't just reflect the mentality of the times, but it also permitted those in Hollywood to pledge their allegiance (to a lesser degree compared to World War II) against a foe. This was partly due to nationalism, but mainly due to the fear of blacklisting by the HUAC. All in all, a great historical chestnut.
The Pip from Pittsburg
(1931)
Top notch Roach comedy that deserves to be on a DVD
13 November 2007
Hal Roach is best known as the genius behind many Laurel & Hardy shorts. However, Roach went far beyond the Laurel and Hardy series. This is one example of his genius. The talented Thelma Todd, who starred with the Marx Brothers, steals the show in this hilarious short. "The Pip From Pittsburgh" (aka Chasing Charley) was just shown on TCM and it was great from beginning to end. The dance scene appears to have been a Stan Laurel creation, as he was in the background of many a Roach production as well as some major films, most notably "Bringing Up Baby" (1938) when Katherine Hepburn tore the back of her dress in front of a crowded banquet room. The background music from this short was also standard for the Roach comedies and was so successful in conveying hilarity to a movie that it proved influential with other directors and producers later on.
This short should be marketed on DVD along with many other gems that Roach produced. Hopefully this will come to be in the future. Two thumbs up!
This short should be marketed on DVD along with many other gems that Roach produced. Hopefully this will come to be in the future. Two thumbs up!
Plan 9 from Outer Space
(1957)
Soooooooooo bad that it's great!!!
13 March 2004
So much has been said (and written) about this movie over the past 45 years that there's really not much more to say! Ed Wood, attempting to ride the crest of the "B" Sci-Fi craze of the '50's came up with a real "winner" in "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Utilizing a bare bones budget, and marginal acting from largely substandard actors, Wood directed the most famous stinker of all time. And it proves it's mettle from the very excruciating beginning to the very excruciating end! Hey! even the great Bela Lugosi is in this one, but dies before it's completed!! His substitute looks as much like him as a banana looks like an apple! Who can ask for anything more?
The bottom line: Its worth viewing!
The bottom line: Its worth viewing!
Gigli
(2003)
Just more evidence how inferior the movie industry has gotten.
10 August 2003
The movie industry has definitely taken a nose-dive on this stinker. It's not worth gleaning the main points; everyone else who's seen this celluloid tragedy already have done this. What bothers me most is that this garbage will wind up on DVD and VHS, while great classics from the 30's through the 50's virtually go unnoticed because of ignorance on the part of the entertainment marketers. Let's face it: if one does not motivate himself to see what's not on the "radar screeen" and accept what the media offers in it's place, you have a pitiful situation. The majority fall into this. However, if one does have the ability to see through the media's machinations and is determined to find true quality (be it in the great classics or in contemporary obscure cinema) one can only benefit himself and broaden his taste.
Today's movie industry constantly churns out inferior products to an unsuspecting public. Today's Hollywood is a far cry from the superior directing and quality films that were made over fifty years ago. The public is too lazy to have any insight in this. The remedy to the problem of inferior acting, inferior directing and inferior plots is to boycott the cinemas. I haven't been to a movie since I saw "Inspector Gadget"; a real stinker and, of course, available on DVD and VHS.
Today's movie industry constantly churns out inferior products to an unsuspecting public. Today's Hollywood is a far cry from the superior directing and quality films that were made over fifty years ago. The public is too lazy to have any insight in this. The remedy to the problem of inferior acting, inferior directing and inferior plots is to boycott the cinemas. I haven't been to a movie since I saw "Inspector Gadget"; a real stinker and, of course, available on DVD and VHS.
Austin Powers in Goldmember
(2002)
Lousy, lousy, lousy!!! Only watch this film if you're a moron.
28 May 2003
The first two Austin Powers movies were very good. So it wasn't difficult to be anxious about seeing Part III. Normally I don't go out to the movies in order to catch the `latest and greatest' features that are out, so I usually wait for them to become available for home viewing. My daughters saw this film on the wide screen and liked it. Compared to this one, the first two Austin Powers movies were exceptionally good and funny, especially The Spy Who Shagged Me. To put it mildly, I was extremely disappointed in this film. This one is a first class stinker. It has more than the usual 8th grade level `bathroom humor' that normally accompanies modern comedies of this nature (remember Wayne's World?). However, the writers make a desperate attempt to keep the plot afloat by overdoing it a bit. Nonetheless, their attempt to use it to for the benefit of the plot fails miserably. Speaking of plot, there really is none. The overemphasized humor involving genitals and "soft core" swear words is stupid and adds to the absurdness of this movie. Film features cameos of Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, Britany Spears and John Travolta among others in another possible attempt to add substance to the plot. Not!!! This stinker is a total schlockfest. This is just another example of the junk that is available for sale, while some great classic films from the 40's and 50's go unnoticed by the powers-that-be. Even the great classic `The Final Countdown' (1980) starring Kirk Douglas isn't available for sale, but this claptrap is. Go figure.
Nora Prentiss
(1947)
From the very beginning it's all downhill for Dr. Talbot!
1 March 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Never in the annals of film history has one man screwed up his life as badly as Dr. Richard Talbot, played by Kent Smith. From the very beginning of this film, Talbot's life unravels, at first very slowly, but, as the film progresses, in a hideously downward spiral that goes out of control by the end of the film. Watching this film makes one want to chant `I'm glad I'm not this guy!' over and over again. Kent Smith's antics as Dr. Talbot in this film make Fred Mac Murray's Walter Neff of `Double Indemnity' or Wendell Corey's Cleve Marshall in `The File of Thelma Jordan' look like childs play. Both of these movies can scare you silly regarding infidelity, but still, there is no comparison.
As the film begins, Talbot is portrayed as a straight-laced family man; an individual who has no clue about the world around him save for his family and work. This, of course, doesn't last too long. Enter Nora Prentiss. Ann Sheridan does a superb job portraying the alluring Nora, a nightclub singer who gets clipped by an automobile while she's crossing the street. Just by luck, Talbot is outside of his office and sees the accident. Being a doctor, he brings her up to his office in order to repair the damage, which consists of a bruised knee. The ride downhill to ruin begins for Dr. Talbot, first in a subtle way. He becomes tempted to see her perform in the nightclub across the street from his workplace. You can feel the rush toward disaster get a little quicker at this point.
First it's dancing, then it's a jaunt to his summer cabin when the family is away on a trip, then it's expensive gifts, then it's his coming home in the wee hours of the morning. By then his wife, played by Rosemary De Camp, becomes suspicious, but (miraculously) maintains her reserved attitude about what's happening around her and her family. The gnawing anxiety inside of her finally prompts her to angrily quip, `Not everyone in San Francisco is in poor health' or "I wonder what's going on inside of you" to her husband during one breakfast. Of course this is the day of their daughter Bonita's birthday which, of course, he forgets because of his frequent late evening trysts with Nora. You can feel the plunge toward certain disaster getting more apparent, just like feeling a noose being put around one's neck.
It gets so bad by this time that he can't even concentrate on his work. Before a New York doctor witnessing an operation, he almost kills the patient. Of course this happens after Nora tells him that she wants to call it quits (good timing!). Talbot can't give her up. He pursues her like a male moth pursues a pheromone laden female. She keeps pushing him away, but nothing can stop this guy by now.
By now everyone viewing this film has a clue that this guy is tormented by the demon of infidelity. He feels like a trapped rat in a corner. He wants to divorce his wife, but lacks the courage to tell her. The viewer can feel the gnawing dilemma within Dr. Talbot and by now is REALLY glad that he's not in his shoes! Enter Walter Bailey, played by John Ridgely. Bailey is a heart patient who, coincidentally, collapses and dies in Dr. Talbot's office the moment he is writing a note to his wife asking for a divorce. Talbot notices that Bailey is the same age, height and weight as himself. In a day before DNA identification, Talbot sees a way out of his dilemma. He places his ring, watch and money clip on Bailey, drives his 1941 Buick to a cliff somewhere in Carmel, CA, douses the interior of the car with alcohol and sets it on fire with (of course) Bailey in the driver's seat. It gets much worse, by the way...
So, Talbot "kills" himself in his endeavor to by with Nora. The continuing downward spiral gets a little more bizarre and precarious... He takes off to New York City with Nora and keeps informed with San Francisco newspapers about his death. He then notices that the District Attorney is investigating his death, so another factor is introduced in the plot: paranoia. He and Nora stay shut up in the hotel they're living in. Nora is perturbed that they're not living a "normal" life like everyone else. She is also confused as to why he is acting the way he is, not knowing what's being written in the San Francisco papers.
Talbot becomes even more paranoid when they go out dancing one evening and he runs into the same doctor who watched that botched operation mentioned earlier. He tells Nora that they have to leave NOW without explaining to her what the problem is. By now Nora is really perturbed about what's going on so she confronts him. He finally explains to her the mess that he got himself into, all because he wanted to be with her. The walls start to close in on Talbot as you can see him deteriorate in the seclusion of his hotel room. Hotel meals, newspapers and alcohol are all that he looks forward to in his `prison'. Nora gets a job as a singer at Phil DiNardo's (played by Robert Alda) nightclub and manages to make a living for both herself and her `prisoner' boyfriend.
Still another factor appears in the plot: jealousy. Talbot, who by now is calling himself Thompson, becomes enraged that Nora is spending too much time at the nightclub and with Phil. It doesn't help any when he reads in the gossip pages how Nora and Phil are `an item'. One night he slips out of his hotel room and goes to the nightclub, pummeling DiNardo and fleeing in the latter's car. As can be expected in this film, he speeds off, is pursued by the police and has an accident resulting in severe facial injuries. He treats his injuries like a blessing, thinking that his being altered in this way can let him live a `normal' life in the great outdoors without being identified by anyone. Can Dr. Talbot really put away his past self now? Not a chance. In perfect timing, the law arrests him because of a fingerprint identification on the can of alcohol he used in order to destroy his previous identity. Whew! They extradite him back to California where he is tried for the death of himself. He is so disfigured that not even his wife or past colleague, Dr. Joel Merriman, recognize him. He is sentenced to die and he makes Nora promise never to tell anyone who he is. Would you? Warner Brothers advertised the movie with a tremendous advertising campaign. The billboards asked: `If you were Nora, would you talk?'
If there ever was a deterrent for philandering, this is it. The film is filled with a tragedy of errors from beginning to end. Dr. Talbot's fall from grace is truly astounding. His impulsiveness at throwing caution to the wind, as one would say, shows the stupidity of one man on his ability in screwing up his life big time. It really leaves one chanting over and over again, `I'm glad I'm not this guy!'
As the film begins, Talbot is portrayed as a straight-laced family man; an individual who has no clue about the world around him save for his family and work. This, of course, doesn't last too long. Enter Nora Prentiss. Ann Sheridan does a superb job portraying the alluring Nora, a nightclub singer who gets clipped by an automobile while she's crossing the street. Just by luck, Talbot is outside of his office and sees the accident. Being a doctor, he brings her up to his office in order to repair the damage, which consists of a bruised knee. The ride downhill to ruin begins for Dr. Talbot, first in a subtle way. He becomes tempted to see her perform in the nightclub across the street from his workplace. You can feel the rush toward disaster get a little quicker at this point.
First it's dancing, then it's a jaunt to his summer cabin when the family is away on a trip, then it's expensive gifts, then it's his coming home in the wee hours of the morning. By then his wife, played by Rosemary De Camp, becomes suspicious, but (miraculously) maintains her reserved attitude about what's happening around her and her family. The gnawing anxiety inside of her finally prompts her to angrily quip, `Not everyone in San Francisco is in poor health' or "I wonder what's going on inside of you" to her husband during one breakfast. Of course this is the day of their daughter Bonita's birthday which, of course, he forgets because of his frequent late evening trysts with Nora. You can feel the plunge toward certain disaster getting more apparent, just like feeling a noose being put around one's neck.
It gets so bad by this time that he can't even concentrate on his work. Before a New York doctor witnessing an operation, he almost kills the patient. Of course this happens after Nora tells him that she wants to call it quits (good timing!). Talbot can't give her up. He pursues her like a male moth pursues a pheromone laden female. She keeps pushing him away, but nothing can stop this guy by now.
By now everyone viewing this film has a clue that this guy is tormented by the demon of infidelity. He feels like a trapped rat in a corner. He wants to divorce his wife, but lacks the courage to tell her. The viewer can feel the gnawing dilemma within Dr. Talbot and by now is REALLY glad that he's not in his shoes! Enter Walter Bailey, played by John Ridgely. Bailey is a heart patient who, coincidentally, collapses and dies in Dr. Talbot's office the moment he is writing a note to his wife asking for a divorce. Talbot notices that Bailey is the same age, height and weight as himself. In a day before DNA identification, Talbot sees a way out of his dilemma. He places his ring, watch and money clip on Bailey, drives his 1941 Buick to a cliff somewhere in Carmel, CA, douses the interior of the car with alcohol and sets it on fire with (of course) Bailey in the driver's seat. It gets much worse, by the way...
So, Talbot "kills" himself in his endeavor to by with Nora. The continuing downward spiral gets a little more bizarre and precarious... He takes off to New York City with Nora and keeps informed with San Francisco newspapers about his death. He then notices that the District Attorney is investigating his death, so another factor is introduced in the plot: paranoia. He and Nora stay shut up in the hotel they're living in. Nora is perturbed that they're not living a "normal" life like everyone else. She is also confused as to why he is acting the way he is, not knowing what's being written in the San Francisco papers.
Talbot becomes even more paranoid when they go out dancing one evening and he runs into the same doctor who watched that botched operation mentioned earlier. He tells Nora that they have to leave NOW without explaining to her what the problem is. By now Nora is really perturbed about what's going on so she confronts him. He finally explains to her the mess that he got himself into, all because he wanted to be with her. The walls start to close in on Talbot as you can see him deteriorate in the seclusion of his hotel room. Hotel meals, newspapers and alcohol are all that he looks forward to in his `prison'. Nora gets a job as a singer at Phil DiNardo's (played by Robert Alda) nightclub and manages to make a living for both herself and her `prisoner' boyfriend.
Still another factor appears in the plot: jealousy. Talbot, who by now is calling himself Thompson, becomes enraged that Nora is spending too much time at the nightclub and with Phil. It doesn't help any when he reads in the gossip pages how Nora and Phil are `an item'. One night he slips out of his hotel room and goes to the nightclub, pummeling DiNardo and fleeing in the latter's car. As can be expected in this film, he speeds off, is pursued by the police and has an accident resulting in severe facial injuries. He treats his injuries like a blessing, thinking that his being altered in this way can let him live a `normal' life in the great outdoors without being identified by anyone. Can Dr. Talbot really put away his past self now? Not a chance. In perfect timing, the law arrests him because of a fingerprint identification on the can of alcohol he used in order to destroy his previous identity. Whew! They extradite him back to California where he is tried for the death of himself. He is so disfigured that not even his wife or past colleague, Dr. Joel Merriman, recognize him. He is sentenced to die and he makes Nora promise never to tell anyone who he is. Would you? Warner Brothers advertised the movie with a tremendous advertising campaign. The billboards asked: `If you were Nora, would you talk?'
If there ever was a deterrent for philandering, this is it. The film is filled with a tragedy of errors from beginning to end. Dr. Talbot's fall from grace is truly astounding. His impulsiveness at throwing caution to the wind, as one would say, shows the stupidity of one man on his ability in screwing up his life big time. It really leaves one chanting over and over again, `I'm glad I'm not this guy!'
Hallelujah
(1929)
Way ahead of it's time. A work of genius.
10 February 2003
In 1929, MGM began the process of converting to sound. They were almost the "latecomers" of sound conversion compared to their competitors over at the Warners lot; Warners' Vitaphone was pretty much in full swing by 1929 after having experimented with orchestral sound on film in 1926 in "The Better 'Ole" and "Don Juan" and then with actual voice embedment on film in "The Jazz Singer" the following year.
Even for such a major film studio like MGM, the cost was almost prohibitive, so Louis B. Mayer was skeptical about financing a major film epic featuring an all black cast. In the first half of the 20th Century, the major film studios catered mostly to white audiences, so a project of this nature was almost unheard of. Director, King Vidor was personally convinced that this film would be a success at the box office that he offered to match MGM dollar for dollar in producing this film. That said, the executives at MGM agreed, reluctantly, to take on this project.
I was totally surprised by the candidness of the material. From the way the major studios depicted black people as individuals of little or no importance, usually portraying them in a very negative way, I was at first skeptical. I expected more singing, dancing and stereotyping. Little did I know what a surprise I was in for! MGM could not have done a better job at portraying individuals with such humanistic qualities. As with most backdrops featuring blacks, it takes place in the cotton fields of the South; the motion picture industry failed miserably to depict black urban or middle class life until decades later.
Amazingly, most, if not all, of these actors were untested individuals on the screen or stage. Vidor's direction, along with these actors' willingness to succeed on the screen, created a work of art for the cinema. A huge box office success, "Hallelujah" was an oasis in an otherwise all-white world of big business cinema. It is a shame that the movie moguls at the time did not take further advantage of the acting talents of minorities.
Leonard Maltin could not have put it more succinctly when he said about Hallelujah: "King Vidor's early talkie triumph, a stylized view of black life focusing on a Southern cotton-picker who becomes a preacher but retains all-too-human weaknesses." Definitely a home run! A must see!
Even for such a major film studio like MGM, the cost was almost prohibitive, so Louis B. Mayer was skeptical about financing a major film epic featuring an all black cast. In the first half of the 20th Century, the major film studios catered mostly to white audiences, so a project of this nature was almost unheard of. Director, King Vidor was personally convinced that this film would be a success at the box office that he offered to match MGM dollar for dollar in producing this film. That said, the executives at MGM agreed, reluctantly, to take on this project.
I was totally surprised by the candidness of the material. From the way the major studios depicted black people as individuals of little or no importance, usually portraying them in a very negative way, I was at first skeptical. I expected more singing, dancing and stereotyping. Little did I know what a surprise I was in for! MGM could not have done a better job at portraying individuals with such humanistic qualities. As with most backdrops featuring blacks, it takes place in the cotton fields of the South; the motion picture industry failed miserably to depict black urban or middle class life until decades later.
Amazingly, most, if not all, of these actors were untested individuals on the screen or stage. Vidor's direction, along with these actors' willingness to succeed on the screen, created a work of art for the cinema. A huge box office success, "Hallelujah" was an oasis in an otherwise all-white world of big business cinema. It is a shame that the movie moguls at the time did not take further advantage of the acting talents of minorities.
Leonard Maltin could not have put it more succinctly when he said about Hallelujah: "King Vidor's early talkie triumph, a stylized view of black life focusing on a Southern cotton-picker who becomes a preacher but retains all-too-human weaknesses." Definitely a home run! A must see!
The Final Countdown
(1980)
Why is this movie not available on VHS???
21 August 2002
I first saw this movie when it came out in 1980. I only saw it once more years later on TV. All I can say is that it is well done and comparable to such "time travel" films as Somewhere in Time and Frequency, let alone the all time grandaddy of them all, The Time Machine. Kirk Douglas does a superb acting job in a movie that was done way past his prime as an actor.
The only other comment I have to make is that I don't understand why this film is not available on tape. It just doesn't make any sense. I go into eBay and people are clawing to get VHS copies of this. This tape isn't cheap either; they usually sell between $20 - 30 on eBay and Amazon has used copies between $44.99 - 99.99. Why??? If this movie is so popular amongst the masses, why not market it on tape for public consumption? I wish someone could give me an answer to this enigmatic question.
The only other comment I have to make is that I don't understand why this film is not available on tape. It just doesn't make any sense. I go into eBay and people are clawing to get VHS copies of this. This tape isn't cheap either; they usually sell between $20 - 30 on eBay and Amazon has used copies between $44.99 - 99.99. Why??? If this movie is so popular amongst the masses, why not market it on tape for public consumption? I wish someone could give me an answer to this enigmatic question.
Hotel Anchovy
(1934)
A fine tailored comedy that rivals anything done by the greats.
6 June 2002
I had the privilege of seeing this short on Turner Classics the other day. All I could say is that this comedy rivals just about anything the Marx Brothers, the Stooges or Laurel and Hardy ever did. The Ritz Brothers are all but forgotten; very rarely do you see anything that they did and I seriously doubt that anything they did is available on tape. The sad thing about this comedy short is that it should be available on tape; it's not and that's a crime. It's a fast paced film that not only keeps the viewer laughing at all of their antics, but also keeps one on the edge of one's seat as they do just about anything to save this hotel from bankruptcy.
The Ritz Brothers antics closely resemble those of Laurel and Hardy in many ways. Stan Laurel, the mastermind of Laurel and Hardy, had a knack of developing a comedy scene that snowballed helplessly with slapstick and double talk as the scene progressed. This is how this short works; snowballing faster and faster until there's total chaos for all.
It's also a very interesting piece for anyone who's interested in the development of comedy on film. Highly recommended to all who want to broaden their awareness on this era of film history.
The Ritz Brothers antics closely resemble those of Laurel and Hardy in many ways. Stan Laurel, the mastermind of Laurel and Hardy, had a knack of developing a comedy scene that snowballed helplessly with slapstick and double talk as the scene progressed. This is how this short works; snowballing faster and faster until there's total chaos for all.
It's also a very interesting piece for anyone who's interested in the development of comedy on film. Highly recommended to all who want to broaden their awareness on this era of film history.
Hitler--Dead or Alive
(1942)
Super low-budget stinker! Makes the Germans in Hogan's Heroes look dangerous!
8 April 2002
I was always interested in viewing a Bobby Watson vehicle. Recently I purchased this film solely for that reason. Film historians tell us that Mr. Watson was a dead ringer for Adolf Hitler and I had to see this for myself. Watson only shows up in the film after about two thirds of the way through.
All in all, this film is so bad that it's pathetic. Putting aside propaganda reasons, it boggles the imagination why an accomplished actor like Ward Bond (Gentleman Jim, Wagon Train, Gone With the Wind) would actually star in such a farce. My only guesses are that 1) he was hard up for money or 2) he felt it was his patriotic duty to do this stinker.
The Nazis in this film are shown to be idiotic boobs and incompetent to the point of not even being able to keep POWs from escaping from Dachau. Actually, Dachau wasn't even used as a POW camp. At any rate, that aside, they are depicted as a group of nincompoops, much like the ones in the TV program, Hogan's Heroes. I always thought that Stalag 17 spawned the idea for Hogan's Heroes, but now I think that Hitler Dead or Alive may have been the movie that influenced Bing Crosby to air that TV classic!!
Simply put, this movie is nonsensical, moronic and unrealistic. It's worth the time to view it once, just for laughs, but to view it a second time is a waste of time!
All in all, this film is so bad that it's pathetic. Putting aside propaganda reasons, it boggles the imagination why an accomplished actor like Ward Bond (Gentleman Jim, Wagon Train, Gone With the Wind) would actually star in such a farce. My only guesses are that 1) he was hard up for money or 2) he felt it was his patriotic duty to do this stinker.
The Nazis in this film are shown to be idiotic boobs and incompetent to the point of not even being able to keep POWs from escaping from Dachau. Actually, Dachau wasn't even used as a POW camp. At any rate, that aside, they are depicted as a group of nincompoops, much like the ones in the TV program, Hogan's Heroes. I always thought that Stalag 17 spawned the idea for Hogan's Heroes, but now I think that Hitler Dead or Alive may have been the movie that influenced Bing Crosby to air that TV classic!!
Simply put, this movie is nonsensical, moronic and unrealistic. It's worth the time to view it once, just for laughs, but to view it a second time is a waste of time!
23 -- Skidoo
(1930)
An interesting comedy from the early talkie era
27 February 2002
A classic example of vaudeville on film. Lewis does a splendid job as Otto Ott, owner of a roadside watering hole for travelers. Even though his antics are corny by today's standards, they still stand the test of time. The double talking between himself and his nagging wife (Marie DuMont?) are incredible and equal to his contemporaries, the Marx Brothers. I only wish that this short was available on tape for all to see. I highly recommend this short to any film connoisseur!
Intruder in the Dust
(1949)
An early example of a major motion picture company dealing with racial prejudice in a positive light.
3 August 2001
Director Clarence Brown does a tremendous job in presenting Juano Hernandez as a dignified man living within a southern community steeped in Jim Crow. Hernandez is falsely accused of murder and is resigned to the fact that this prejudice will lead to his incarceration or worse.
The movie is full of surprises and, happily, ends on a positive note. One of the major movies on racial or cultural prejudice of the era, it was done after Gentlemen's Agreement (1947), Crossfire (1947), but precedes Sidney Poitier's No Way Out (1950) by a year. Clearly, the only other movie that touched on this issue beforehand was the first version of Imitation of Life (1934).
This era was a time when the motion picture industry was struggling with this issue and showed an earnest attempt at portraying this problem with dignity. Hernandez's role as Lucas Beauchamp was no ordinary role for a black actor during this time when the movie industry was still under the control of whites. All in all, this is one of the greats.
Great supporting acting from David Brian, Claude Jarman, Jr. and Elizabeth Patterson.
The movie is full of surprises and, happily, ends on a positive note. One of the major movies on racial or cultural prejudice of the era, it was done after Gentlemen's Agreement (1947), Crossfire (1947), but precedes Sidney Poitier's No Way Out (1950) by a year. Clearly, the only other movie that touched on this issue beforehand was the first version of Imitation of Life (1934).
This era was a time when the motion picture industry was struggling with this issue and showed an earnest attempt at portraying this problem with dignity. Hernandez's role as Lucas Beauchamp was no ordinary role for a black actor during this time when the movie industry was still under the control of whites. All in all, this is one of the greats.
Great supporting acting from David Brian, Claude Jarman, Jr. and Elizabeth Patterson.
Crossfire
(1947)
One of the finest film noirs ever made
20 July 2000
I can't begin to put into words the effect that this film has. It is superbly done and has a dynamite cast featuring the three Roberts, Robert Young, Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan and the incomparable Gloria Grahame, possibly the most beautiful woman on the planet in 1947. Many think that the movie "Gentlemen's Agreement" was the first to address the problem of anti-semitism, but few realize that "Crossfire" came first. It is a classic example of the dark, sullen, shadowy and gloomy atmosphere that film noir is noted for. It is riveting from beginning to end and worth watching again and again. Grahame appears only briefly, but her performance as Ginny Tremaine leaves the viewer clamoring for more of this lethally beautiful woman. It is a must see for all fans of film noir.
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