Reviews

Elvis Presely was deemed to be about the only sure thing in movies as a bankable star when Allied Artists paid Elvis the the great salary of one million dollars to star in this film.

Norman Taurog directs this film in a breezy style and the movie while a AA film was produced at nearby Paramount.

Allied Artists was a boutique studio with films such as Love In The Afternoon, Friendly Persuasion, Soldier In the Rain, El Cid, and 55 Days At Peking, etc. AA had a small studio and no TV division and its fates rose and fell with its movies competing with giant studios such as MGM, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Some of the major film personalities that worked at AA were Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Steve McQueen, Ava Gardner, David Niven, and Sophia Loren. AA would go on to film Cabaret with Liza Minnelli, Pappillion with McQueen, and The Man Who Would Be King with Sean Connery. Directors such as William Wyler, John Huston and Billy Wilder contributed to the success of AA.

Columbia has a contract list in the early 60's with Stefanie Powers, Michael Callan, Deborah Walley, and Todd Armstrong among others such as John Michael Hayes and Cindy Carol. Columbia cast Todd Armstrong and lovely Nancy Kovak in this very fine film Jason And the Argonauts. This film was pre computer imagery and all the technical stuff we all see in films today. Very well Directed and for the era it was produced very fine special effects. Armstrong would go on to have roles in some other Columbia films such as Five FInger Exercise produced by Fred Brisson for his wife Roz Russell, and George Segal's King Rat. One sharp cameo Armstrong has was in Walk On the Wild Side starring Barbara Stanwyck. Too bad Amstrong did not reach the potential I think he clearly had. By the mid 60's Columbia folded its contract player list.

Jane Fonda was the nominal star of this black and white film expertly directer by Edward Dymytrk but the real star was Barbara Stanwyck lured to the big screen in a small but pivotal role as the Madam of a New Orleans bordello. Stanwyck was brilliant in this film and wonder why the Great Star was not nominated for a supporting Oscar.

Legend has it that Stanwyck as well as Jane Fonda feuded with leading man Laurence Harvey. Havey had his detractors such as Kim Novak who detested Harvey co starring together in MGM's Of Human Bondage, but also had has fans among them Elizabeth Taylor who loved Harvey and co starred together in MGM's Butterfield 8.

Fonda, Harvey, Anne Baxter, Capucine, Todd Armstrong, etc do fine work in this film but it is Stanwyck who stands out.

Susan Hayward was a great beauty and a great actress and was at the pinnacle of her fame during the production of this film having just won the Oscar for her legendary performance in I Want To Live.

Ms. Hayward was under contract to 20th Century Fox but was allowed outside films ( two of her finest were I'll Cry Tomorrow at MGM and I Want To Live at United Artists). 20th wanted to cash in on the Hayward fame and cast Susan in Henry Hathaway's drama Woman Obsessed co starring 20th's contract male star Stephen Boyd who matches the dynamic Hayward in a fine drama. 20th even established as a PR campaign a Susan Hayward dramatic scholarship.

I recommend this film.

David Barra Los Angeles

Richard Chamberlain was an MGM star of MGM's Dr. Kildare TV series. Every spring when the TV hit went on hiatus MGM starred its big star in a theatrical movie. A Thunder of Drums with George Hamilton and Luana Patten ( both MGM stars) and then onto Twilight of Honor with the estimable Claude Rains, and finally Joy In The Morning with its radiant and lovely star Yvette Mimieux in this hit movie.

Chamberlain and Mimieux had starred in a 2 part Dr.Kildare called Tyger Tyger and was so well received the studio assigned them both to Joy In The Morning to cash in on the popularity. Allegedly Chamberlain and Mimieux were not as close off the set as they appeared in this movie. Chamberlain during the run of Kildate the legend goes got more fan mail per week than Clark Gable then the King Of The Movies.

Joy In The Morning filmed mostly on the now gone MGM backlot is a good movie with Chamberlain exuding the acting skills he would be later in his career be recognized.

Kim Novak was a Columbia star and went from a supporting role in Jack Lemmon's great Phfft to co star in Bell Book and Candle to lead and top billed over Jack Lemmon in this wickedly funny comedy mystery directed by Richard Quine.

This was the last movie Kim Novak made at Columbia and ended a legendary relationship between studio and star where Kim made Picnic, Pal Joey, Bell Book and Candle, Strangers When We Meet among others and her declared favorite film Middle Of The Night. Looking at times like the fabled Jean Harlow Ms. Novak reaches the top of the stardom ladder in this film.

To me Kim Novak was what a movie star looked like!

Merle Oberon was a great beauty often tabbed the 8th wonder of the World so striking was La Oberon in person and on film. In a career that started in London in the 30's Oberon worked with Laughton, Wayler, Hopkins, Brando, Olivier in a long and great career. A good actress her lavish lifestyle got more attention than her ability as an actress.

Of Love And Desire is a vanity production produced by Oberon's then fabulously wealthy Mexican husband Bruno Paglai, and many of the settings are in the various Mexican homes ( palaces really) that the Paglai's owned in Mexico. A sight to behold is then 53 year old Merle Oberon in a bikini in a scene with an equally daring Steve Cochran also in a bikini who despite the fact that Mr. Paglai was financing this film was said to be Merle's off camera lover as well. No horror roles for Merle like her peers Joan Crawford, and Bette Davis and Ann Sothern, no way! It was glamor all the way with Merle Oberon looking fantastic in this film.

Desilu produced this western series starring Robert Lansing and produced by Gene Roddenberry. ABC picked up the half hour series in the fall for 1966 that would have enabled Desilu to score a triple win on the networks with three (3) new shows: Mission Impossible on CBS, and Star Trek on NBC and long Hunt of April Savage on ABC but this series was canceled before its premiere.

The concept is intriguing with the effective and solid actor Robert Lansing starring in the show every week looking for the killers of his wife and children, ala The Fugutive. Also starring were Bruce Dern and guest starring Piper Laurie.

David Barra Los Angeles

Kim Novak a big star in the 1950's and 1960's was subject of a great interview by TCM's Robert Osborne. Scenes of some of Ms. Novak's famous films such as Vertigo, The Man With The Golden Arm, Picnic, etc were shown with Ms. Novak giving commentary. Filmed in 2013 Ms. Novak looked wonderful at age 79 discussing her working with Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Josh Logan, Alfred Hitchcock and Otto Preminger among others.

A comment that struck me was Kim Novak signaling out Lee Remick as a star she admired and wished to emulate on choosing roles! Remick shot to fame in A Face In The Crowd and in Preminger's Anatomy Of A Murder replacing Lana Turner, and most notoriously replacing Marilyn Monroe in the ill fated Something's Got To Give which MM was re signed.To my knowledge Lee Remick's best role was Days Of Wine And Roses which Novak refused ( Remick also replaced Novak in A Severed Head, a flop). What did Novak mean by using Ms Remick- a lesser star than Ms. Novak- as an example.

Ms. Novak long retired did comment on her bitter relationship with Director Mike Figgies on Liebestraum which ended her great career.

I wish Interviewers would ask Novak about working with the biggest star of her era Elizabeth Taylor in The Mirror Crack'd and her leading men such as Rock Hudson, Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Charles Bronson and great actors such as Frederic March, Kirk Douglas, and Peter Finch. Also were there stars Kim Novak wished she worked with for example Cary Grant in a romantic film seemed natural or a drama with Steve McQueen?

l liked the Osborne-Novak interview on TCM.

Daryl Zanuck and his son Richard Zanuck left 20th Century Fox and produced this film at Warner Bros. For the elder Zanuck it was a return to the studio he gained fame under Jack L. Warner.

I read that the Zanuck's cast the female leads while the film was in development at 20th Century Fox. Cast are Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom, Glynis Johns, and Shelley Winters the film is an adult expose of the morals of the 4 women the aforementioned stars portray. Lifting the film from the "B" Category is the fact legendary director George Cukor directed this film and Cukor's style and emphasis on Art Direction are obvious. George Cukor cast Warner Bros. stars Ty Hardin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, and Ray Danton to be the male leads; Chad Everett has a small role. George Cukor is said to have been overwhelmed with Ty Hardin and threw much of the picture to that Warner Bros. star. Of all the players both male and female, it is Mr.Hardin who is presented most scantily clad. For an early 60's film Ty Hardin is showcased in brief bathing suit. Ms. Fonda known for her intelligent performances shines in this film, and I never recalled Glynis Johns-she of the unique voice-to be very attractive but in this film Ms. Johns is drop dead gorgeous. Glynis Johns scenes with Ty Hardin are the best in the film. George Cukor would remain at Warner Bros and direct My Fair Lady and win that long sought Oscar.

PS For all of Cukor's direction of Ty Hardin, the Men never worked together after this film.

Shirley MacLaine is only 12 years older than Meryl Streep but played Streep's Movie Star mother -to a fare thee well. Closely resembling the real life story of Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher this film has lot of inside baseball about Reynolds and Fisher. Ms. Streep is as always brilliant as the tormented "Carrie" and Ms. MacLaine is superb as "Debbie". Liked Gary Morton as the agent. Gene Hackman, Dennis Quaid, Richard Dreyfuss, and Annette Bening give fine support to the Stars. Mary Wickes is priceless as Shirley's Mother much resembling the real Mom of Debbie Reynolds if you read Debbie's book.

Mike Nichols deserves credit for brining this story to the screen and even has a great windup with Streep singing over the credits. Is there anything Ms.Streep cannot do?

Shirley MacLaine belts out Sondheim's great song of survival "I'm Still Here" and no doubt Shirley MacLaine is still here with over 50 years a Great star working with great Directors such as Wilder, Hitchcock, Wyler, and co star with Eastwood, Lemmon, Sinatra, Bancroft, Newman, Hepburn, Garner, etc, etc. etc.

Hard to understand when seeing what was completed of Somethings Got To Give why 20th Century Fox fired Marilyn Monroe from this Movie; Marilyn is Magnficent. Looking better than she had in years and in fantastic shape, -witness the nude pool scene, daring for its day, Marilyn Monroe was giving one of her best performances! I guess that is why 20th after offering the role to Kim Novak who refused out of respect to Monroe and then to Doris Day and Shirley MacLaine both of whom refused the part, 20th finally cast Lee Remick who accepted ( only to have Dean Martin refuse Lee Remick as a co star) did 20th do the inevitable and re hire Ms. Monroe, and at 5 times her initial salary!

When Marilyn Monroe was fired it was reported -likely leaked by 20th- that MM was acting as if in a daze but from the scenes of film I have seen MM was anything but! Looking beautiful and acting in a clear concise manner, I saw the magic of George Cukor's direction. This movie would have been a big big hit for 20th and Marilyn Monroe. Dean Martin was a great leading Man and Cyd Charrisse sexy and wonderful as Dean's second "wife". Wally Cox, John McGiver were great too!

There were stars and then there were superstars and then there was Marilyn Monroe! Forever Fantastic

David Barra Los Angeles

Philip Kaufmann's film version of The Right Stuff is a movie marvel, a classic and a throbbing paean to the greatness of America.

Brilliantly produced by Alan Ladd Jr thru his Ladd Company (which was supposed to be like Dreamworks and Imagine are today) the film is cast with remarkable actors in an ensemble that deserves our most respectful applause. Dennis Quaid is simply magnificent as Gordon Cooper and has one of the greatest fade-outs in movie history, Quaid deserved a Best Supporting Oscar. Sam Shepard is terrific as Chuck Yeager and so are Scott Glenn, and Barbara Hershey and one of the truly great actresses Kim Stanley. Ed Harris is superb as John Glenn. The entire supporting cast is pitch perfect.

I love this movie but it got clobbered at the Oscars by the emotional favorite Terms of Endearment. In the rear view mirror of movie History, The Right Stuff was the best movie of that year and one of the best movies of all time. For me it is my favorite movie, and wow what a score....I could listen to it forever.

David Barra Los Angeles

Ginger Rogers glorious and gorgeous was said to have done everything her great co star Fred Astaire did but in high heels and dance backwards. Ginger in her later years hated that comparison but seeing Mark Sandrich's brilliant film Top Hat one sees two great artists Astaire and Rogers at their peak. I can rave forever re this film and the great performances of the two classic Stars and also the brilliant set design. Filmed at RKO, the sets are wondrous and set a peak for artistic and interior design not only in Films but in decors worldwide. The canals of water, a set on a sound stage are remarkable.

Ginger Rogers flawlessly beautiful in some of the greatest gowns of the era is what being a movie star is all about. Sexy Great Star.

Bravo to RKO, Sandwich, Astaire and Ms Rogers.

David Barra

Frank Capra brought great success to Columbia Pictures in the 30's with classic hits such as Colbert and Gable in It Happened One Night, Colman in Lost Horizon, Stewart and Ms. Arthur in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Mr Capra found this story Marooned and wanted to make this film at his old studio Columbia, but the fact is that Capra was finished in Hollywood by the time this film was considered with stars such as James Stewart who were legendary due to Capra films refusing the film. Mr Capra said that Columbia cut the budget so drastically he had to ankle the project. I wish Capra had stuck it out and maybe used some of the then Columbia studio contract stars such as Michael Callan and Stefanie Powers ala Howard Hawks did with young stars for Red Line 7000 at Paramount. After all aren't Astronauts especially in training young? Capra offered the film to James Stewart who refused the film. Columbia took the film away from Frank Capra and assigned it to Mike Frankovich as Producer and John Sturges as Director and cast Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman and James Fransicsus. What resulted is a fine sci fi film. Peck and Hackman were true stars and box office giants. I always felt Jim Fransiscus should have been a a major star.

John Sturges had a direct way of filming and one can only imagine how Mr. Capra would have told the story of Marooned.

I liked this film, and its cast of professional's

David Barra Los Angeles

Dennis Quaid is so good in this movie and I enjoyed the film 'The Rookie' tremendously. Sports movies sometimes are hard to put across but this fine film excels and all hands involved in this film deserve thanks for a fine effort. Mr. Quaid is so likable in this movie it is one of his best outings. I also liked the quasi religious theme in the beginning and end of the movie with the Catholic nuns.

The Rookie is a fine movie extolling excellence and team sportsmanship. Fine supporting performances, fine cinematography. Fine everything. See this movie!!

The Rookie would be a good spin off to a weekly TV show

David Barra ARSports Ltd Los Angeles

Sam Spiegel and David Lean collaborated on the filming of The Bridge On the River Kwai. Logistically it must have been very difficult to film this movie and many kudos go the Producer, Director and stars William Holden, and Alec Guiness. I like William Holden's easy natural masculine acting and I laughed when on the beach with an enlisted nurse (Officers and Enlisted are not suppose to fraternize together) the Nurse asks Holden what she should call him and Holden says with great aplomb,"Sir".

Alec Guiness justly won the Oscar and many other acting awards worldwide for his legendary performance.

This is a great war movie about heroism and one has to remember the brave Men of the River Kwai project for the great ordeals they encountered. The ending is powerful.

Bravo to Columbia Pictures, and Messrs. Speigel, Lean, Guiness, and Holden

David Barra Los Angeles

As a Veteran I like War Movies and this film re tells the story of John F Kennedy's bravery in the Pacific theatre in WWII. John Kennedy had a mythic reputation while in office and Warner Bros was surely not going to do anything to dispel that myth. Cliff Robertson able star is cast as JFK. Others mentioned for the JFK role were Warren Beatty and a WB contract player Edd Byrnes who found fame as Kookie on 77 Sunset Strip. (Byrnes has written a book about his life which is a good read) Likely the reliable Mr. Robertson was more to the liking of the President than Warren Beatty or Edd Byrnes -who would have been my choice. Byrnes would have made JFK what he really was: A Randy Young Man! This is a good film, modest and easy to watch. It is also noted for the appearances of Warner Bros stars Ty Hardin and Grant Williams, and also Robert Culp, Robert Blake, et al who would find their mark as TV stars in the future. As has been noted Jack Warner who ran Warner Bros with an iron fist with great results deemed himself the Producer of this film likely to assuage any doubts of the Kennedy family of this film portraying JFK in anything but a positive light.

PT 109 is a respectful movie of a Naval Hero.

David Barra Los Angeles

John Wayne was one of the fundamental stars of the movies and when one bought a ticket to a John Wayne movie, one was assured of a fine movie! Executive Producer Hal Wallis bought together John Wayne and one of the other great stars of the era Katharine Hepburn for this movie. The film shot in Oregon has wonderful scenic shots. It is wonderful to see the great Hepburn riding a horse and sparring with John Wayne in this film. Katharine Hepburn who in her long career worked with James Stewart, Cary Grant, Peter O'Toole, and her great love Spencer Tracy among others is equal to John Wayne in all matters in this film. And John Wayne loves every minute of it! Producers like Hal Wallis and Stars like John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn do not exist anymore in today's Hollywood! How they are missed!

David Barra Los Angeles

Stanley Kramer had a great relationship with the a star considered the finest actor of film. I know that is a lofty sentence but I do feel All American Spencer Tracy was and still is the greatest of Actors. Inherit The Wind, Judgement at Nuremberg, It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World and Guess Who's Coming To Dinner are the 4 films in the Kramer-Tracy partnership. Tracy died as a first billed star, and never reduced himself to "cameos"

Judgement At Nuremberg is a brilliant film and stars Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Montgomery Clift,Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich. All give superb performances of this film recounting the Nazi terror and the trial of those who perpetrated this evil. Judy Garland was nominated but lost. Applause goes to Dietrich in particular for her bravery as a German -born woman who challenged the Nazi's. Above all is Spencer Tracy and his monumental acting at the end of the picture in particular is worthy of acclaim as one of the greatest sequences. It is legend that Tracy delivered his speech in one take to the resounding cheers of many at Universal where the film was shot who watched from the set and others who came over from their stages to watch the consummate actor in action.

Max Schell won the Oscar for this superb work and thanked Spencer Tracy for his support. I would have voted the Oscar to Tracy.

I highly recommend this movie.

David Barra Los Angeles

Stanley Kramer and Spencer Tracy had a great partnership with Inherit The Wind, Judgement At Nuremberg, Mad World and the last classic Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. Stanley Kramer must have truly loved the Great Actor and showcased Spencer Tracy brilliantly.

In this film Stanley Kramer collects many a great iconic funny man and funny lady in a film about greed, and what a cast it is! with a lovely spot by zingy Dorothy Provine who also was in Warner Bros all star Great Race. Imagine lovely Ms. Provine starring in the two all star comedies of the 60's! Funny Lady Lucille Ball was apparently too busy running Desilu and Stan Laurel regrettably turned down Mr. Kramer for a cameo but just about every other comedic actor was cast. I wish Stan Laurel would have made his cameo, Mr. Laurel would have brought the house down and from I read needed money but Mr Laurel preferred to retire when Stan Laurel's great legendary co star Oliver Hardy died.

Director Stanley Kramer and Spencer Tracy had an un official partnership with Inherit The Wind, Judgement At Nuremberg, It's A Mad Mad Mad World and this classic film. We all know the back story: Mr Tracy was ill and Columbia was nervous about the film so Kramer and Katharine Hepburn put their fees in escrow so the film could be made The subject matter was stunning when the film was made and it was very brave on Columbia's part to finance the film. Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton are fine but it is the two legendary stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy who give impeccable and indelible performances. Spencer Tracy's great speech at the end of the film is a landmark of acting. Had Mr Tracy lived I predict Spencer Tracy would have won his 3rd Oscar, Ms Hepburn did win the Oscar and some may question the selection but not here. Ms Hepburn's quiet and eloquent performance speaks volumes, and does more here with her eyes than some actresses do with a 5 page script speech. How Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn respected and loved each other!

Spencer Tracy died a superstar of the first rank with first billing, and one would have to go to his early films in the 30's where Tracy was not first billed. A Star, An Actor, A Man! Decades after his Death to many including Me he is the finest actor of the silver screen.

There were two popular "Connie's" in the 1960's: Warner Bros. had Connie Stevens and would showcase the lovely star in a series of films and across town MGM had Connie Francis and Leo the Lion showcased the songstress in a series of light, fluffy comedies that do no harm but are not so great either: Follow The Boys, When The Boys Meet The Girls and a true classic Where The Boys Are that featured Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton, Yvette Mimieux and Dolores Hart ( who would leave showbiz to be a cloistered Catholic Nun). Looking For Love reprises the cast of Where The Boys Are- Prentiss , Mimieux, Hamilton who by the time this film was made had become major stars and co starred Connie Francis with Jim Hutton who had been on a lengthy suspension at MGM and did this film as his release valve from a ironclad MGM contract. Funny to see tall Jim Hutton in romantic clinches with the petite Ms. Francis.

Note MGM had two other stars under contract George Peppard and Richard Chamberlain, both immensely famous and likely escaped being cast in this film due to their respective standings at MGM

David Barra

Jim Hutton was under contract to MGM where he made The Subterreans with George Peppard, and 4 movies back to back with Paula Prentiss, i.e. Where The Boys Are, Honeymoon Machine, Bachelor in Paradise and Horizontal Lieutenant. This film version of the Tennessee Williams play Period of Adjustment is shown on occasion on TCM and I found the film enjoyable with a very fine performance by Jim Hutton. Jim Hutton spars well with Jane Fonda in one of her earliest film roles. The film has typically fine MGM production values. I recommend this film as I am a fan of Jim Hutton's.

Hutton's career needs re appraisal. MGM groomed Hutton in the James Stewart fashion and after doing Looking For Love with Connie Francis and cameos by Paula Prentiss, Yvette Mimieux, and George Hamilton, and a cameo in Fonda's MGM film Sunday In New York,Jim Hutton free lanced. Hutton made Major Dundee with Charlton Heston, Hallejuah Trail with Burt Lancaster, Never Too Late with Connie Stevens, Walk Don't Run with Cary Grant, and two John Wayne films Green Berets and Hellfighters. Hutton's career tapered off at the end of the 1960's and soon found himself in TV work before his too early demise at 45.

David Barra Los Angeles

Mel Gibson created a visually stunning and heartbreaking film of the Passion of the Christ starring James Cavaziel who himself is an openly devout Catholic. To me as a student of the great film makers such as Wilder, Ford, Wyler, Stevens, Capra, Eastwood, Mel Gibson went overboard on the lashing scenes. Truly being crucified was not a pleasant thing to experience or to watch but the fault I have with this film -and I am a Catholic-is that it is too gory. (George Cukor once remarked to Jack Lemmon in a film, "Less, Less is More" brilliant advice). The Passion Of The Chirst was a worldwide hit, a film sensation,and big money maker. Sadly no major studio would release this movie so an Independent Studio did and reaped the financial windfall! James Cavaziel is brilliant as Christ and should have been nominated for Best Actor. And kudos after all to Mel Gibson who was a laughing stock when he said his film would be in Aramaic, etc. Mel Gibson proved his critics wrong.

This film is a movie classic

David Barra Los Angeles