Reviews

Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon join forces to deliver this comedy that falls well short of their other offerings.

Shirley MacLaine plays the title character, a Parisian prostitute who sort of decides she might want something else out of life after Nestor Patou (Lemmon), a policeman who falls for her, continuously tries to make her see the alternative.

The comedy relies on two things: Jack Lemmon's mugging, and a plot point that involves him playing two roles. If you like really broad humor, say on the level of "The Pink Panther", this might appeal to you. As for the two-role joke, it grows old quickly.

Neither main character is very endearing. This is in contrast to their characters C. C. Baxter and Fran Kubelik, in "The Apartment".

Perhaps there is a moral to be imparted? If so, it is well hidden under the wink-wink, nudge-nudge focus of the story.

There is one clever bit at the end, where Nestor comes up with a strategy for clearing his name with the police, but it is too little too late.

This film feels like the smarmy ramblings of an emotional 8-year-old, replete with indulgent fantasies a la Walter Mitty. The action revolves around its main character's (Richard Benjamin) perpetual, neurotic obsession with all bodily fluids and his dysfunctional family.

Richard Benjamin is perfectly cast as Portnoy, an uninteresting bundle of neuroses.

Overall, the film has as much charm as an episode of "Love American Style" written and directed by a foul-mouthed boy with a dictionary of vulgar words at his elbow. I can't imagine that anyone associated with this film was forever proud of his/her part in it.

A strait-laced published is married to a beautiful woman who is discontented due to his focus on his business. When he confesses there are financial exigencies that require frugality, she abandons him and their son.

Paul Lukas plays the published, Robert Lenhart. And Helen Vinson (soon to be married to tennis champion, Fred Perry) plays the wife, Eve. This is great casting, but the entire cast is impressive in their roles. Madge Evans plays the secretary, Maxine Bennett, whose dedication to her employer, Lenhart, goes well beyond professional consideration. When Mrs. Lenhart leaves, Maxie spends time with little Bill, the son (played by David Holt). In short order, Eve remarries.

Though Robert never stops loving his wife, things stabilize, until Eve's new mother-in-law (May Robson), who controls the purse strings with a gruff dedication to always getting her way, demands that Eve sue for custody of her son. An emotional courtroom scene follows.

Though the story is somewhat plodding in its early scenes, it gathers momentum, and concludes with some wonderful action in its final moments. The production is blessed with some great performances. Watch for Catherine Doucet, who plays the eccentric authoress, Jean Oliver, with great energy. And May Robson puts on a show as the demanding mother-in-law, culminating in a courtroom performance that would steal the film, if not for young David Holt, who himself acts beyond his years in the final scenes.

This is certainly one of my favorite episodes of "Frasier".

When Niles is appointed art critic of a snooty magazine, Frasier's envy ---predictably---gets the better of him, so he seeks a way to match Niles' achievement.

Meanwhile, Eddie is on the lam after terminating a pet hamster that was mistaken for a rat.

And station KACL is visited by Poppy (Katie Finneran), the daughter of its owner, whose intelligence, subtlety, and demure deportment impress no one. Though Ms. Finneran's performance is brief, it is one of the funniest in the run of the series, and she is one of the most memorable characters from any series.

This is not the kind of musical where the leads just start singing and dancing in mid-conversation. Almost all the song and dance occurs as performance on stage. The stage is located in the historic Windmill Theatre, in London, which is called the Music Box in this film. During the London blitz, the theater was known for never missing a performance. The film pays tribute to that record and, more broadly and more importantly, to the spirit of those who braved the blitzkrieg in London.

Released in the first few days of 1945, "Tonight and Every Night" is meant as a patriotic film to rouse spirits. There is a love story, but it is secondary to the larger story.

Rita Hayworth stars as stage performer Rosalind Bruce. She and her coworkers put on five shows a day at the Music Box. Their story is primarily told, in flashback, to a reporter from Life Magazine who is doing a spread about the theater. Janet Blair plays Judy Kane, Rosalind's best friend and fellow dancer. Marc Platt plays the part of Tommy Lawson, the other major dancer. His dance is the highlight of the film. Lee Bowman plays the pilot (Paul Lundy) who wins Rosalind's heart.

Though many scenes are darkened due to the London blackouts, the Technicolor really stands out in some spots. The designers who created the fashions worn by Rita and the others also deserve mention.

Gary Cooper portrays Tom Bradley, a Detroit automotive designer who takes a well-deserved vacation in Spain. There, he encounters a mysterious countess (Marlene Dietrich) who is part of a crime syndicate. She uses him to evade capture during a sophisticated crime scheme, and has to stay near him as a result.

Cooper is perfectly cast as the ingenuous Midwesterner who finds the beautiful countess enthralling. From her perspective, the American is a yokel. Though he falls for her quickly, her attraction is a slow burn. Besides, she has too much at stake to seriously consider Tom as a paramour.

The story is filled with coincidences, but it is easy to overlook them due to the high quality of this production. The camerawork is innovative, the lighting and sets are impressive, and the music is complementary. Most of all, the story is entertaining and the actors do a very good job.

This little-known musical might be considered the Texas answer to (the stage musical) "Oklahoma!" And though things in Texas are supposed to be bigger, this film is smaller in many ways. But the four leads get their moments in the sun: Esther swims, Red mimes, Ann dances, and Howard sings.

Cornie the carny (Red Skelton) and his collaborator, Debbie (Esther Williams) run a dunking booth in a carnival, but they are not making ends meet. When Cornie runs into a rich, drunk cattleman Dan Sabinas (Keenan Wynn), who takes a shine to him, Cornie and Debbie leave the midway and head for a posh hotel where Sabinas is supposed to be staying. A case of mistaken identity allows them to reside there indefinitely.

The Sabinas foreman (Howard Keel as the real Slim Shelby) becomes interested in Debbie, and a hoofer named Sunshine Jackson (Ann Miller) sets her sites on Cornie. The rest of the plot is a jumble of unimportant events, including a rough and tumble chuck wagon race that is reminiscent of Ben Hur.

Keel's singing is up to his usual standards, but the songs are not Rodgers and Hammerstein. Ann Miller taps up a storm with choreography by Hermes Pan. Esther Williams swims less than she usually does in her aquafests, but she has a dream sequence that is clever. Red Skelton transforms the entire film, making it more comedy than any other genre.

Credit Helen Rose for the beautiful designs worn by the female leads.

The ending is weak, but the overall production entertains adequately.

Writer and director Barry Levinson takes us to Fell's Point, Baltimore, where six young men are socializing during the Christmas break. Though friends for years, they are a widely divergent group. The action centers around the diner they consider the hub of their lives, where they hang out after their evenings' entertainments.

I can understand why Levinson wanted to memorialize an era and a location from his past, but these characters are, in the main, not very likable. And the story demonstrates very little change in their characters, though there are life lessons to be learned from their experiences.

On the other hand, Levinson has assembled a very talented cast. All the main actors (Guttenbert, Rourke, Bacon, Stern, Daly, and Reiser) are on their way up and will find greater success, usually within a few years. It is entertaining to see them at this early point in their careers.

A young Ellen Barkin steals some scenes as the wife of one character. In 1986, she will deliver a much more mature performance in "The Big Easy".

And Levinson will go on to direct some strong films, including the iconic "Rain Man".

What an episode! The chaos of the mistaken identities plus Todd's faux brogue made for great fun. Nitrous oxide impairment, a lizard, and an unauthorized incursion of the dark web add to the madcap action. The best episode so far. And there was even an interesting case to solve as well.

Is it possible CBS will not renew this series just as it hits its stride? This has become one of my favorite weekly watches. It is hard to believe this show cannot find an audience, with its great cast and its combination of good legal cases and wacky humor via Todd's character. Come on CBS...do the WRIGHT thing!

How appropriate that 20th Century Fox provided this version (since Zorro means "fox") of the tale about an anonymous hero of the common people set in early California. The story might be considered part Robin Hood and part Scarlet Pimpernel.

Tyone Power plays Diego Vega, who returns home to California on the request of his father. He finds that much has changed. A despot has taken his father's role as political leader of the region. With an army behind him, Don Luis Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg) is taxing the locals into poverty. His right hand man is Captain Esteban Pasquale (Basil Rathbone), an expert swordsman who is the real brains behind the operation.

Diego quickly comprehends the situation and adopts a foppish manner, to assist in his plan to remedy the situation. Then he assumes the role of Zorro, a daring swordsman, who seems to appear out of nowhere and thwart Quintero's plans. There is a complication when Diego meets the niece of Quintero, Lolita (Linda Darnell), and falls under her charms.

The quality of swordplay and horsemanship are integral to this genre of film. Here, both are tremendously portrayed. This Zorro is one of the best swashbucklers in film. The heroic persona depends on the disparity between the actual and assumed personalities of the hero. Power does not come close to Leslie Howard's portrayal of an effeminate wastrel (note that he uses an identical lorgnette), but he exceeds in his portrayal of the daring chevalier.

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What a fun film! Warner Brothers opens its lot to provide a glimpse of what goes on behind the gates with this story of a Hollywood newbie named Judy Adams (Doris Day) who desperately wants a break. She finds a way to meet Jack Carson, who plays himself as a pariah no one wants to work with, and gets caught up in the machinations of getting a film project off the ground. In fact, she helps Carson lasso Dennis Morgan (also playing himself) for the project.

The two men alternately work together then battle for the attentions of the freckle-faced Judy. Along the way, there is a smattering of studio cameos, and some breaking of the fourth wall. Nothing is very serious, except maybe for some of the musical numbers by Doris and Dennis, which is fine.

This is Day's third film and it feels like it. Her charm infuses the entire production.

This adaptation of the Pasternak novel certainly feels like a David Lean picture. Like "Lawrence of Arabia", there are vast expanses, but instead of sand, there is snow. But no direction can overcome the problems inherent in the novel, with its dense, ambiguous story framed by a Soviet history that offers nothing redemptive. Then there is the titular character---a man who is neither hero nor anti-hero. He is willing victim to a political process that he mistakes as benevolent.

The portrayal of Zhivago by Omar Sharif is fine. So is Julie Christie's portrayal of Lara, the object of Zhivago's tainted love, the subject of the film's memorable musical theme. But their story is barely a love story---borne of dissatisfaction and unhappiness, it can never end well, like the fate of the nation that victimizes them.

This film is best seen as a sketchy overview of a national history that is populated by despots and their victims. It is tragic and, unfortunately, it is filled with vignettes that entertain little. In his review of the restored film, Roger Ebert found little to admire but the film's "old-style craftsmanship", but this film, then, belongs in the same library with other well-crafted films that have little to say or that say it poorly.

This well-written adaptation of Shakespeare's play features performances by Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard as the star-crossed lovers. Shearer owns her role, while Howard is more than adequate in his. And they maintain the focus of the film while surrounded by massive talents at every turn, like John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, and Edna May Oliver.

The sets are wonderful, as are the costumes, and the viewer is transported to Verona, where forbidden love cannot be denied.

One of the challenges, of course, is to deliver the dense and flowery dialogue in a way that modern audiences can embracet. Director Cukor may deserve some of the credit for the way this production invites the viewer into the story through its dialogue.

It would have been a real task to cast the two leads with actors age twenty or younger. Judy Garland might have fit the bill, but could she have delivered a performance equal to Norma Shearer's? Perhaps. Montgomery Clift might have been a solid choice for Romeo, but he was not "discovered" until years later. Regardless, this is a fine production worthy of Shakespeare's talents.

Much has been made of this being the last performance of John Barrymore and the fact that his compromised constitution would lead to his death in 1942. But that does not make this performance compromised, or him a pathetic shell of his former self. In fact, it makes this performance all the more impressive. For comparison, go back to his performance as Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet" fully five years earlier. Both are comedic roles. And in both cases, he is acting broadly and loudly. Of course "Playmates" is not a vehicle with the status of the Shakespearian classic, but Barrymore totally buys into the low brow humor and gives in to the silliness, like a trooper. Playing alongside Kay Kyser and "Ish Kabibble" is nothing like sharing the stage with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, but Barrymore gives it all.

The film is one of those wartime comedies where the studio throws everything and everyone into the mix, striving for maximum entertainment. Kyser and his band are talented. And they display their wide variety of styles. Their star vocalists, Ginny Simms and Peter Lind Hayes, serve up some of the best moments in the film with their mellifluous tones.

The silly story is about Barrymore turning Kyser into a Shakespearian actor, while trying to hold off the fiery Lupe Velez (who plays Carmen del Toro), the woman who wants all his attention and his name. It's a story that jumps from point to point with its focus on cramming more entertainment into each scene. This is no great film, but it was not meant to be; its function is to allow the diverse talents to exist within the running time and deliver some laughs, punctuated with musical moments. It does that.

Shot in New York City, "Date Night" is an action film that features the comedic talents of Steve Carell and Tina Fey, who play a married couple, the Fosters. Like many couples who have been together for years, they have fallen into a rut. To keep things fresh, they have date night once a week, but even that has fallen victim to a tired, monotonous routine.

When another couple announces the end of their marriage, Phil (Carell) tries his best to shake things up, promising a memorable dinner at an exclusive restaurant. When he cannot deliver, he desperately tries to take another couple's reservation, leading to a case of mistaken identity. What ensues is a night of misadventure as they try to stay one step ahead of everyone who is after them.

The brand of humor is what one would expect from Carell or Fey. It works fairly well. And they are surrounded by a very enjoyable cast, including Mark Wahlberg, who plays a hunky guy who might be able to assist them. His apartment is just one stop on their night's journey through a world of danger and intrigue. But at least they escape their rut.

This film might serve as a primer on how to waste talent. The cast includes Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and a passel of other big names, but most of them cannot rise above the melodrama and caricaturization that "The Chase" offers in spades.

Redford plays Bubber Reeves, a convict who escapes prison and is on his way back to his hometown. Jane Fonda plays the wife, Anna Reeves, who is content to dally with the son of the big man in town while Bubber is absent. Brando is Sheriff Calder, who tries to maintain law and order as the town goes berserk in an orgy of racism, lawlessness, greed, sex, and power struggle.

The actors who acquit themselves the best are Fonda, Angie Dickinson---who plays the wife of the sheriff---and James Fox, who is Fonda's boyfriend.

The story is over-the-top melodramatic. About fifteen actors chew the scenery as the tempo of the narrative ramps up to a laughable level. This is "Peyton Place" meets "The Day of the Locust", culminating in a deadly carnival in a junkyard. As the officer said, there is nothing to see here, but the film does offer a long list of known actors, some in very minor roles, and it can be fun to try to pick them out.

In 1979, the film "Time After Time" was released. It was a sci-fi based time travel romance. And in 1980, there was "Somewhere in Time"---fantasy based and one of the greatest romantic films. These two excellent films had little in common beyond the time travel aspect of their stories.

Time travel plots are always tricky. For "Somewhere in Time", don't look too closely for problems, like the chicken/egg question. There is a supernatural aspect of the story that one must buy into to really appreciate its wonderful romanticism.

Fortunately, the film has plenty going for it, like beautiful scenery, a memorable romantic theme by Rachmaninoff, and Oscar-nominated costuming for the period portion of the story. Its best asset, though, is the pairing of Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, who actually fell in love during the making of the film.

Reeve plays the part of Richard Collier, a modern day playwright who falls in love with the image of a woman from 1912, actress Elise McKenna, played by Seymour. His obsession with the woman leads to his attempt to travel through time to meet her. It's a romantic notion that demands all suspension of disbelief, or one might as well avoid the film.

Christopher Plummer's performance is also worth noting. He plays W. F. Robinson, who is McKenna's agent, guru and guardian. He has molded her into the actress she has become, and his Svengali-like influence is an obstacle standing between the two who might find happiness together.

Versatile Oscar winner Walther Matthau stars in this now-classic youth sports film about a little league team made up of incompetents, a girl, and a juvenile delinquent. This is an irreverent comedy which also includes some life lessons, especially for adults involved in youth sports.

This may not be "Hoosiers", but it is a comeback tale of sorts. And its characters have a story arc that is gratifying.

The girl on the team is Amanda Whurlitzer, played by Tatum O'Neal, who also had an Oscar in hand, for her performance in her previous film, "Paper Moon". She is as integral to the story as Matthau, and she holds her own. Another actor of note is the young Jackie Earle Haley, who plays the juvenile delinquent. Four years later, he will appear in another classic sports film, "Breaking Away".

This oft-copied and parodied film is still fun to watch. No sports film ever featured underdogs with less hope; watch how they put the "team" in self-esteem.

Though this film fits the definition of a chick flick, it is not without general charm. Thankfully, its two stars are fun to watch. Moira Kelly plays the part of Kate, a shrewish figure skater looking for a partner. Well, actually her coach and her father are doing the searching, because she has scared off a slew of them.

Looking outside the box, her coach finds Doug Dorsey (D. B. Sweeney), a once-promising hockey player whose career was sidelined by serious injury. Doug is a blue-collar Midwesterner used to the macho lifestyle of the dentally-challenged jock. When he is presented with the pampered lifestyle of Kate, who trains at a private rink and hobnobs with the upper crust, there is a culture clash.

The major difficulty for a sports-related film that features non-athletes is to make the sports action convincing. Overall, it is fairly well done here. Kelly and Sweeney are novice skaters. If lighting and editing are used too much to disguise the athletes, it distracts from the action. In "The Cutting Edge", the deception is noticeable, but not so annoying that it ruins the film. Think of how "Flashdance" obscured the identity of the real dancer (Marine Jahan) in its most demanding scenes.

This film has a cult following, but it falls far short of other chick flicks, like "Pretty Woman".

Credit goes to Chuck Lorre and colleagues who believed that a sitcom could be built around a group of friends who were not (at all) blue collar or coworkers, though "Frasier" paved the way.

The four main characters are nerds who work in scientific fields and have stunted social skills, especially when it comes to romance. They celebrate all aspects of science (especially physics), sci-fi, comics, superheroes, and gaming.

Much of the humor goes through Sheldon, a character whose characteristics are extreme. He is filled with phobias, he is totally egotistical, and he seldom understands the mechanics of social structure, customs, or the feelings of others. He is so well-defined that he would become the focus of a spin-off, "Young Sheldon."

As the series progresses, the men become involved with women, opening the door for more relationship humor.

The show's actors are talented at humor. Though the show flags somewhat in later seasons, it never falls to a level that is unfunny.

This film is an oddity. It is well-directed by Arthur Penn (no relative) and cleverly written by Penn and Teller, but it is too clever for its own good. The story asks the viewer to buy into its premise, then it jettisons that premise in the last act. Call it absurdist or call it an absurd waste of a good script.

Penn and Teller play themselves---well, versions of themselves---and pepper the story with comedic magic bits that are their hallmark. The two characters play practical jokes on each other, always upping the stakes. This allows them to display their talents to good effect. A better ending might have resulted in a great farce.

I did enjoy Caitlin Clarke's performance as their girl Friday. And the musical references are enjoyable.

If you can get past the first episode, which feels like a direct ripoff of "Columbo", this can be an enjoyable series. Perhaps it is meant to be an homage to the Peter Falk character. By the fourth episode, I was actually looking forward to watching Carrie Preston in her portrayal of Elsbeth Tascioni.

This humorous crime solver is not too insightful so that the stories feel unbelievable. Elsbeth is not a superhero. She is a kind-hearted person who is smart enough to disguise her powers of deduction with a veneer of absent-minded lack of focus. She notices the small details that matter (and some that don't) while working well with others.

By the fourth episode, she has established a strong working relationship with officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), who comes to recognize the value of Elsbeth's talents. Their partnership promises to elevate the remainder of the series.

I hope Wendell Pierce (who plays Captain Wagner) becomes a larger part of the stories. As on "Suits", he is always fun to watch.

Like "Columbo", the series needs good "villains", and so far they have delivered. Deliciously arch antagonists really make a difference. The castings of Jane Krakowski and Jesse Tyler Ferguson were strong steps in the right direction.

The year is 1600. Having discovered a better sea route to the Orient, the Portuguese have established relationships with the Japanese, leading to advances in their two main objectives: profitable trade and the incursion of Catholicism into the region.

A Dutch vessel, the Erasmus, beset by scurvy, drifts aimlessly through dense fog until it grounds near Osaka, where the crew is captured. They are treated badly. One sailor---an Englishman named John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis)---is sent to the castle as a prisoner, to be looked over. Fortunately for him, a young woman (Mariko, played by Anna Sawai) there speaks English, having been instructed by a Portuguese priest. Through her, he communicates with those in power, though they have little regard for this outsider.

This is a time of political intrigue. A board of five regents is in charge, but some have designs on more power. And long histories of conflict color every decision, every posture. Blackthorne struggles to understand what is happening and how he might regain possession of his ship.

Based on the James Clavell novel of the same title, this is an excellent mini-series. I admit I took to it slowly, as the narrative established the context for the entire series, but there was a moment near the end of the second episode when I was hooked by the story and I knew I would enjoy its entirety.

Besides some strong acting, there is a strong element of design (costuming, sets, atmosphere) that infuses the production. But all is not beautiful, as there is death and brutality all around. Nevertheless, immersion into the culture of feudal Japan transports the viewer. We can identify with Blackthorne's struggle to understand his surroundings. At the same time, Western understanding of feudal Europe, with its warring factions and systems of fealty gives us an analogous example that allows basic comprehension from the beginning.

This is an excellent story and a convincing glimpse into the history and culture of Japan in 1600.

Directed by Minelli, "The Reluctant Debutante" is about a young American girl named Jane (Sandra Dee) who visits her father, who is a banker in London. There, she meets his second wife, who decides Jane should debut (or "come out") during the season, which is a succession of debutante balls. It is 1958, and this will be the last season, as decreed by Queen Elizabeth.

This film represents a series of firsts and lasts.

The father, Jimmy, is played by Rex Harrison. His wife, Sheila, is played by Harrison's actual wife, Kay Kendall. This will be Kendall's last film.

This is actually Sandra Dee's second appearance in a film. Her fresh-faced persona is understandable, as she is only about 15 in this appearance, due to lying about her age.

Jane is disappointed with the romantic prospects of the season when she realizes the young man who seems most available is David Fenner (Peter Myers), a guardsman who is a dull "drip"; his main interest seems to be the best way to negotiate the London roadways.

But then David Parkson (John Saxon) enters the picture. Jane has chemistry with this American drummer almost immediately. There are a few clever moments due to the confusion of the two Davids.

In the era when the squeaky-clean image of Doris Day is of greatest appeal, Sandra Dee fits in well, like a Disney princess come alive. She is the image of the perfect debutante, on the cusp of womanhood, discovering love.