Mister-UHF Reviews

Gun Fever (1958)

Worth checking out.

[7/10 · 5 November 2008]

I came across this film by chance on the Encore Westerns Channel and despite its low budget and occasional slow pace, I found this to be an entertaining movie based on relationships: good, bad, strained, and warped. The black & white photography (a budgetary necessity, no doubt) and the blowing wind added to the atmosphere. Trench and Amigo are among the most bullet deserving villains around. Like a lot of the lower budget Western films of mid and late fifties, it much resembles the television Westerns of the time and might have been better off as an hour long episode.

And banned in Finland and Sweden? I suppose it would have passed if Sam and Tanana had been skinny dipping in Lake Tahoe.

Summer Lovers (1982)

Brainless bonking by the wine dark sea

[2/10 · 14 January 2007]

Came across this picture on Encore Love while channel surfing to Encore Westerns. I watched it out of curiosity to see if the stories I had heard about it are true.

They are. The only good thing about this film is the cinematography of the Greek Isles. Otherwise, it's just a movie version of a pictorial from a men's magazine, although the script (such as it is) has a few touches of Cosmopolitan.

You'll love this film if you're into soft core porn, Darryl Hannah, or European brunettes. Otherwise, you'll find it boring or offensive. Note: at last report, 47% of female American college students were infected with human papilloma virus (HPV or genital warts) spread by the promiscuity that this picture celebrates.

The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (1969–1971)

Zany fun

[29 June 2005]

It's been many years since I saw this show, but as I recall it was a lot of fun with a combination of slapstick humor and clever dialog. I often caught my parents laughing at it. Penelope was a wealthy fashion plate Southern gal and The Hooded Claw (now there's a name!) was always cooking up ingenious ways to destroy her (e.g., explosive pastries called "bombs-bombs") and get his grubby hands, err, claws, on her fortune. He was aided by identical twins, the Bully Brothers, who did everything in unison, even when crying "Oh no!" when a plot backfired on them. But they always failed, often due to the timely intervention of the Ant Hill Gang in a smart car long before KITT came along.

Desert of Lost Men (1951)

Entertaining

[7/10 · 1 September 2003]

I came across this picture by chance on a community access cable TV channel and found it quite satisfying, much better than the usual low budget Western. It supports Republic's reputation for doing a lot on a small budget. (Before the closing credits, I could tell it was a Republic picture by the distinctive sound effect that company used for every type of gunshot.) This is the type of Western that would soon be killed off by television, but the people who made and acted in them would be kept busy in that medium. Republic Studios would go to be the home of numerous TV Westerns produced by Four Star, Revue (before it moved to Universal), and CBS (who would later purchase the studio complex).

Greedy Humpty Dumpty (1936)

The Incredible Egg Monster!

[6/10 · 19 July 2003]

Although the copy of this cartoon that I saw recently on the Classic Arts Showcase (ARTS) was somewhat faded, it did show the artistic and technical skill for which the Fleischers were justly famous. It also shows the weird streak that runs through many of their films.

In this cartoon, Humpty Dumpty is not just the chatty fellow who fell off the wall, but a tyrannical king who has an insatiable appetite for gold, constantly bellows a sinister laugh, and turns cruel at the drop of a hat. He reminds me a lot of Tybo the Carrot Monster from the "Lost In Space" episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion."

Little wonder that the Fleischers later produced "Superman" cartoons with larger than life villains and outlandish situations.

Carry Me Back (1982)

Hitch and Sam can rest in peace.....

[3/10 · 2 January 2003]

....because this film is no threat to the reputations of their movies about mobile cadavers, Hitchcock's "The Trouble With Harry," an intentional black comedy, and Peckinpah's "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," an even funnier unintentional comedy.

"Carry Me Back" is belabored, smutty, and despite its desperate attempts to be droll, quite unfunny. The sights and scenery are interesting, but the characters keep getting in the way. My advice: skip this antipodean loser and rent either the Hitchcock or Peckinpah films.

The Forsyte Saga (2002–2003)

Flawed Telling of a Flawed Classic

[28 December 2002]

This miniseries is the first of what is expected to be two or three covering all of Forsyte novels.

First, this is one of most visually opulent television productions I've ever seen. The costumes, sets, props, and photography are all first rate. Apparently Granada Television hasn't heard that such a production is supposed to be a thing of the past. As for the story itself, the series seems to be largely faithful to the books. And therein lies the rub....

Because in doing so, it concentrates heavily on Irene and Young Jolyon, two of the more despicable characters in English literature. I've yet to meet a person who's read the books and ended up liking either one. Irene marries a man she knows she doesn't love or even like, makes no attempt to do either, hates him, and then cuckolds him by having an affair with the fiancé of her innocent young friend. Young Jolyon goes wherever his hormones lead him, uncaring of the hurt such inflicts on other people. Having these two as `heroes' is an inherent flaw in the story.

Making matters worse are the acting of those parts. Gina McKee's Irene is so bland and lifeless that it's hard to imagine one man becoming obsessed with her, let alone four: Soames, Bosinney, Old Jolyon, and Young Jolyon. (The Morticia Addams makeup doesn't help either.) Rupert Graves just walks through the part of Young Jolyon; whenever emotion is called for, he just looks awkward, like a kid caught in a minor fib.

June isn't much to sing about either. Her character is irrational, adoring the father who abandoned her, quickly forgiving the friend who stole the love of her life, and blaming it all on Soames, who never lifted a finger against her. Gillian Kearney tries her best with the part, but the way it's written, the eventual result is just an annoying adolescent.

Not surprisingly, the character of Soames steals the show, but this triumph is not by default. He is the most complex and fascinating character in the series. Outwardly cold and businesslike, he is consumed by an inner desire to love and be loved. Damian Lewis brings out all of this in his skillful portrayal. The final scene, when Soames holds his infant daughter for the first time, is the most powerful and believable part of the whole series.

The Gunfight at Dodge City (1959)

No cane and derby hat here.

[7/10 · 1 December 2002]

Absent from this film are Wyatt Earp, Masterson's close friend and colleague in Dodge City, and Masterson's dapper clothing, a lifelong trademark, two major flaws in the film. His avoidance of public office doesn't ring true, either. The plot itself takes considerable liberties with the truth. (The television series "Bat Masterson" was closer to the truth in spirit and sometimes in fact.)

However, McCrea's intelligent and introspective portrayal of Masterson is on the mark. The acting of him and the rest of the cast carry the film, which is saddled with uninspired direction.

Fort Massacre (1958)

As hard as a carbine butt.

[7/10 · 1 December 2002]

Unlike John Ford's celebrated cavalry Westerns, there's no humor or sentimentality in this film. It shows the grim situations and less than stellar personnel that cavalry commanders often faced. The interplay between Sergeant Vinson, Private McGurney, and Scout Pawnee is interesting and incisive. McGurney shows how a miscreant within a unit can be as great a menace as the enemy. The cinematography is excellent, particularly during riding and water hole sequences. Worth looking at, especially for Western fans interested in the cavalry.

Fort Massacre (1958)

As hard as a carbine butt.

[7/10 · 1 December 2002]

Unlike John Ford's celebrated cavalry Westerns, there's no humor or sentimentality in this film. It shows the grim situations and less than stellar personnel that cavalry commanders often faced. The interplay between Sergeant Vinson, Private McGurney, and Scout Pawnee is interesting and incisive. McGurney shows how a miscreant within a unit can be as great a menace as the enemy. The cinematography is excellent, paricularly during riding and water hole sequences. Worth looking at, especially for Western fans interested in the cavalry.

The Outriders (1950)

Good ingredients, but uninspired cooking.

[7/10 · 1 December 2002]

This film has an excellent premise, a solid cast, beautiful scenery, and a fine (if brief) score. Yet the final product is only OK. I put the blame on directing and writing that isn't very compelling or incisive.

The same can be said of other MGM films from the late 1940's and early 1950's that I've seen. RKO, 20th Century-Fox, or Paramount would have made this film in a more exciting and engaging manner. For some reason, MGM films from around this time tended to pull their punches.

Duel in the Sun (1946)

Overblown, but entertaining and essential for Western fans.

[8/10 · 1 December 2002]

In the trade, this film was derisively known as "Lust in the Dust" and the critics were lukewarm. The Catholic Film Office rated it "C" for "condemned," presumably due to its smoldering sexuality, and Protestant churches denounced it for Walter Huston's windbag and satirical preacher, "The Sinkiller." Just about the only people who liked it were producer David O. Selznick and the public.

By late 1980's, times had changed so much that "Duel in the Sun" was shown in the early evening on Baltimore's Channel 24, then a family-oriented station owned by a bible publisher, Thomas Nelson. It was available on video at that time from Playhouse Video, a family imprint of CBS-Fox! Today, nearly sixty years after its release, we can perhaps consider the film objectively.

In a filmed interview years later, King Vidor said that he signed on to this film expecting it to be a small scale psychological Western like the later "High Noon." However, producer Selznick, relatively young and already living in the shadow of his "Gone With the Wind," consciously or/and unconsciously tried to equal or outdo that film with this one. The result is a Western epic built upon a non-epic story, making it seem a bit grandiose or overblown. Tiomkin's grand and beautiful score for this film would seem better suited for a tale about a true epic, such as a story about the cavalry campaigns or the building of the Pacific railroads.

Inspite of itself, the core of this film is a fascinating psychological Western based on the interplay of varied and sometimes contrasting characters. The acting is excellent, a possible exception being Lionel Barrymore's hamming, which burns up the scenery like a prairie fire and is often irritating. The production values are superb and the scenes of the confrontation with the railroad should be studied by student filmmakers.

Masterpiece (1971– )

Rise, Decline, and Fall (?) of a Classic

[12 October 2002]

During the 1960's, there existed in the United States a non-commerical television network called National Educational Television (NET). It was so rudimentary that it wasn't linked to its local affiliates by coaxial cable until 1967; before then, it sent films and videotapes to its affiliates by domestic air mail. Despite its modest resources, it had ambitions of being the USA's "fourth network." To that end, it imported and distributed dramatic programs from the BBC. These had little impact until 1969, when NET imported and aired the BBC's "The Forsyte Saga," which became NET's first nighttime hit. Weary of NET's poor relationship with its affiliates, its biased documentaries, and other issues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting relaced NET in 1969 with a new network, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Impressed with the success of "The Forsyte Saga," PBS decided to import other miniseries from the UK and broadcast them under the umbrella title of "Masterpiece Theatre." Alistair Cooke, host of the legendary 1950's series "Omnibus," was its erudite host. The first miniseries aired was "The First Churchills," but it was "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "Elizabeth R" that made it a hit and help establish PBS in general. "Masterpiece Theatre" followed up with later imports from the BBC such as "Poldark" and "I, Claudius" and some series from Britain's commercial network, ITV, such as "Upstairs, Downstairs." It was generally considered the highest quality series on American television.

"Masterpiece Theater" went into its second decade (1980's) with solid miniseries such as "The Citadel," "The Flame Trees of Thika" (said to be its most popular series), and "A Town Like Alice" from Australia (the first non-British series it aired). But starting in the late 1980's, "Masterpiece Theatre" was often not living up to its name. For every good series such as "Piece of Cake," there were one or two clunkers like "Sleepers." One series, "Clarissa," was downright repulsive. There were various explanations. One was that rising production costs were limiting the number of quality series produced by BBC and the ITV. Another was that cable channels, particularly A&E, were scooping up many of the British shows that used to go to PBS.

This situation persisted during the show's third decade (1990's), during which the show was often absent from the schedule. A series of temporary hosts between Alistair Cooke and Russell Baker seemed to symbolize its uncertainty. A move away from its traditional Sunday night timeslot didn't help matters. On the plus side, PBS and WGBH began to take an active part in the production of its shows.

"Masterpiece Theatre" is now in its fourth decade, a rare achievement for any kind of TV show anywhere. Its 2002-2003 season is being started off with a new production of "The Forsyte Saga," which looks most promising. Still, the series faces an uncertain future in a TV landscape far changed from 1971. Viewers can find high quality programs on innumerable cable and satellite channels, videos, and DVD's and PBS recently logged the worst ratings in its history, prompting its president to openly speculate about the network's viability and even its reason for existence. My advice is to enjoy "Masterpiece Theatre" while you still can.

The Forsyte Saga (1967)

A landmark that's now hard to find.

[12 October 2002]

`The Forsyte Saga' was a landmark in the history of television, not just in the UK, but globally. It was apparently the first miniseries to be produced anywhere. It was produced in part to start up the BBC's highbrow BBC2 channel. It was the BBC's most ambitious and expensive series up to that time. It was also the BBC's last major production in black and white, although plenty of color publicity stills were shot for it and BBC2 was intended to inaugurate color television in Britain. The series was originally aired in early 1967 on BBC2, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of author John Galsworthy's birth. It was so popular that it was quickly repeated on the more popular BBC1 channel. The series' popularity was phenomenal. The entire country seemed to rearrange its collective schedule around the show and the streets were empty when it was on. In the following years, the BBC would produce a slew of other period piece miniseries such as `The Six Wives of Henry VIII' and `Elizabeth R.' Britain's commercial network, Independent Television (ITV), got into the act with works like `Upstairs, Downstairs.'

`The Forsyte Saga' was exported and had a major impact abroad. Networks in other countries were soon producing their own period miniseries. `The Forsyte Saga' was the first television series from a Western country to be shown in the Soviet Union.

`The Forsyte Saga' was first shown in the United States in 1969 on the National Educational Television (NET) network and was its first prime time hit. It was repeated on NET's successor, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which was soon importing and airing similar series under the `Masterpiece Theatre' banner. A few years later, the commercial networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were busy producing their own period miniseries like `Rich Man, Poor Man' and `Once An Eagle.'

`The Forsyte Saga' had a profound influence on the careers of its cast. It greatly boosted the fortunes of Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, and Margaret Tyzack, made Susan Hampshire the uncrowned queen of BBC2, and gave Michael York and Martin Jarvis their big breaks. The series gave Kenneth More his best role during the long and inexplicable twilight of his career. On the other hand, June Barry, Dalia Penn, and Nicholas Pennell all had prominent parts in the series, but were little seen in subsequent years.

In fact, the same can be said about the series itself. `The Forsyte Saga' hasn't been aired in the Washington, D.C., area in 20 or more years and is currently not available in this country on video or DVD. Its importance in television history is great and undisputed, but it's now spoken about more than seen.

Sir Francis Drake (1961–1962)

So this is where it came from!

[23 August 2002]

Two or three times in elementary school in Maryland in the early 1970's, we saw a half-hour black and white film about the round-the-world voyage of Sir Francis Drake. It had much better production values than the typical 16mm classroom film of the time and I always wondered where it came from.

Now I know -- it must have been an episode of this series. I'd love to see it and other episodes, especially since I now live in the state named after Queen Elizabeth I.

Space: 1999 (1975–1977)

Big bang, big flop.

[17 August 2002]

As I recall, this show was announced over a year before its premiere, maybe even earlier. It seemed promising. The stars were the husband and wife team of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, well remembered from "Mission Impossible." The producers were Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, well remembered from the Supermarionation series (less so from "UFO"). It was marketed by ITC.

The publicity campaign went into high gear in the Summer of 1975, including prominent articles in "TV Guide" and "Time" magazines. Buried in the copy was a mention that all three US networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) had passed on the series. Little wonder: sci-fi shows were expensive to make, generally had low ratings, and drew mostly kids and teenagers whose limited buying power made them a tough sell to advertisers. So "Space: 1999" was shown in this country as a "first run" syndicated series, sold directly to local stations. Among those who bought it was WBFF, Channel 45 in Baltimore, Maryland, a long time ITC customer. WBFF gave it the prominent slot of 7pm Sunday nights.

The show premiered in September 1975. The odd costumes and twangy theme music irritated me, but what really turned me off were the wooden acting, cardboard characters (only Alan Carter seemed interesting), a relentlessly ominous atmosphere, and drawn out and often silly stories. In one, a he and she pair of bald aliens inflicted terrible carnage on Moonbase Alpha. At the very end, they revealed that it was all a telepathic hallucination and scolded the earthlings for having imaginations. Another one featured an interplanetary war of the sexes, with sexpots in Emma Peel suits squaring off against a male force with a leader who was always dozing off in his command chair. And did anybody ever figure out "The Black Sun"?

I lost interest after a while and so did a lot of other people. An episode about an evil child was widely condemned as being unsuitable for a series shown in the early evening and aimed at kids. Ratings dropped off alarmingly. In New York, the series was shown after the higher rated reruns of "Star Trek" in the hopes of getting a carry over audience. Years later, director Val Guest told "Starlog" magazine that the show was based on two marriages, both failing. The Andersons split up around this time. Perhaps ABC, CBS, and NBC had spotted something besides demographics that was wrong with the show when they rejected it.

The show was picked up by ITC for a second season and WBFF signed up for it, moving the show to 8pm Saturday nights, another a prime slot. Fred Freiberger was the new producer and he promised improvements. All in all, I think he delivered. The characters become human, the atmosphere warmer, the theme didn't sound like a deranged electric guitar, and the stories actually became interesting. The character of Maya was pretty clever, even if she was a "token alien" (like Mr. Spock) or a "plot device" (like the transporter). The show was a lot better, but there were fewer people who noticed. Ratings sagged and the series was canceled in early 1977, to nobody's great surprise. Interest was so low that WBFF didn't bother repeating the second season episodes and replaced the series with reruns of "Perry Mason" that were nearly 20 years old. The show that literally began with a bang ended with a whimper that few heard.

What went wrong? With its cold, sterile, unengaging personality, the series stumbled badly at the outset. By the time it got its act together, it was too late.

Unlike other sci-fi series, "Space: 1999" hasn't had much of an afterlife over here. In the Baltimore-Washington area, it had a brief revival on WFTY, Channel 50, in Washington, D.C., about ten years ago. On cable, the Sci-Fi Channel showed it for a little while in the mid-1990's. On the big day of September 13, 1999, the show was sitting on the shelf at ITC, gathering dust.

Insight (I) (1960–1984)

The show with a wobbly halo.

[17 August 2002]

This syndicated series was produced by the Paulist Fathers, an evangelistic Catholic order of priests. For years, it was a staple of local TV programming in the USA, usually being aired on Sunday mornings or at very odd times, such as just before the station signed off for the night. To the Fathers, it was a way to spread the Word. To the stations, it was a cheap way to plug holes in their schedules and meet the community service requirements of their licenses.

I've also heard that the series was sometimes shown in Sunday schools and church group meetings, usually as the basis for a discussion.

As for the show itself, I found it to be a very mixed bag. Some episodes were interesting, thought provoking, and a bit offbeat, such as the one in which a group of people held a trial to impeach God. Many were preachy, predictable, and even unintentionally funny, like the one that ended with Edward Andrews signing "My Way." And some were just pulpits for 1960's-style liberalism, with noble criminals, brutal cops, and GI baby killers.

Pontius Pilate (1962)

Nice try, but a miss.

[10 August 2002]

A very elusive film on this side of the Atlantic. It received only a brief and limited theatrical release in the United States. It is reportedly available on video, but in the PAL (European) format, not NTSC (USA and Canada). It hasn't been aired in the Washington, D.C., area in over 20 years.

My recollection is that it had beautiful photography and production design, but a hectic and confusing storyline. Typical of many European imports of the time, it had a jerky continuity (editing by the importer?) and some awkward dubbing with the usual "Speed Racer" voices. An attempt to compete with Hollywood epics that came up a bit short.

What I found both distracting and amusing was that the actor who played Barabbas was a dead ringer for a crazy professional wrestler named Bugsy McGraw. In fact, they actually talked and acted much the same!

The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)

It cut both ways.

[10 August 2002]

Not my favorite sitcom, but I generally like it. I often find myself laughing with the Hillbillies, not at them, as the show neatly punctures the pomp and pretense of the rich and supposedly sophisticated. The "Giant Jack Rabbit" episode, in which Granny has several close encounters with a wallaby, is a classic.

The Westerner (1960– )

Great and Awful

[4 August 2002]

I've seen just two episodes of this series. In one, the hero drifted into a place that turned out to be a viper's nest. I don't remembered much about the plot, but the photography and suspense were excellent.

The other was set during a town's Independence Day celebration. The dude played by John Dehner, quite tipsy, offers the hero an amount for his dog. He declines. One takes a swing and they spend the rest of the episode trying to fight amidst marching bands, dancing girls, etc. It was supposed to be funny, but instead was painfully boring.

One could say that these episodes reflected Peckinpah's work in general: either great or awful, with little in between.

Walpurgis Night (1935)

Well intended, poorly executed.

[6/10 · 17 July 2002]

When his wife rejects motherhood in favor of a life devoted to pleasure seeking, a businessman finds himself drawn towards his secretary, who already loves him from afar.

The theme of this film is the superiority of marriage and parenthood to hedonism. A noble intention, but poorly executed. The stilted dialog sounds like a pro-and-con magazine article, which may explain the often awkward appearance of Lars Hanson, Karin Kavli, and even Ingrid Bergman. Victor Seastrom's presence lends the film some gravitas, but even his dignity is undermined by lines straight out of a seminary lecture. The plot isn't too convincing and has a twist straight out of P.C. Wren. The final closing shots make the film's point much better than the preceding hour and a half or so.

This film also has the worst musical score I've ever heard. Parts of it sound like they were played by an elementary school orchestra.

Adam-12 (1968–1975)

Still the best.

[9 July 2002]

Around 1975, I heard a police officer call Adam-12 the most realistic police show ever. In 1999, I heard a recently retired police officer say the same thing. It's hard to top those reviews.

All I'll add is that it had the best casting of any TV show I've seen.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

This deserves a salute

[10/10 · 9 July 2002]

The beginning of this film is the most beautiful and evocative I've ever seen. As for the rest of it, there's no dazzling special effects (actual combat footage instead), no improbable daring do (based on the authors' actual experiences), and no smarmy love story --- only a realistic depiction of men at war in the air.