AAdaSC Reviews

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

A bit boring

[4/10 · 7 May 2024]

Sterling Hayden (Dix) is a hooligan who is recruited into a small team to rob a jewellery safe masterminded by Sam Jaffe (Doc). We also have family man Anthony Caruso (Louis) along for the ride as the safe-cracker and alarm expert and get-away driver James Whitmore (Gus). Louis Calhern (Emmerich) is lined up as the buyer of the stolen merchandise. A plan is put into action after all introductions have been made by Marc Lawrence (Cobby), who is the "go-to" man when dealing with characters that play on the wrong side of the law. However, greed is never a good companion on these heists.

The plot sounds ok and the film is alright but it is overlong and the female roles are terrible. Jean Hagen (Doll), Dorothy Tree (May) and Marilyn Monroe (Angela) are typical soppy females who have been put into a macho film. This is disappointing. Our lead actor - Hayden - also has no likeable qualities. He is just a horrible, grumpy man. How are the audience supposed to relate? The asphalt jungle. More like the asshole jungle.

One thing is now very funny as with hindsight the film provides a premonition of the future in the UK police force. The film ends with a police commissioner explaining that there may be a few bad cops in the force and he turns on the radio for the gathered press conference and demonstrates that at least we are in a position where each reported incident in the city is attended to. He turns through the dial on the police radio as we listen to a continuous set of instructions to attend various crimes. The commissioner tells us to imagine if this didn't happen. Wow! Well, this is the route the UK have gone down. Nothing gets investigated these days and people have given up reporting certain crimes because nothing gets done. The police are more concerned with investigating whether or not someone's feelings have been hurt as a result of woke nonsense and spend their time virtue-signaling and taking the knee. Uuurgh!

Lost Souvenirs (1950)

Keep it lost

[3/10 · 28 April 2024]

How boring was that!

We have 4 stories, all of no significance whatsoever, set around 4 items in some kind of warehouse. Three of the stories are supposed to be comedic and one is a disturbing thriller.

For the first segment, Pierre Brasseur (Philippe) and Edwige Feuillère (Florence) are past lovers who meet up in a museum and pretend to each other that they are wealthier than they are in order to impress one another. They go on a date and that's pretty much it. Boring.

In the second segment, the tedium is cranked up by what is essentially a French farce but it just drags on. And on. Give yourself a pat on the back if you don't fall asleep.

Segment three finds us in a typically French downbeat episode with an escaped nutter and a suicidal woman finding company with one another. However, this is French, so it's not a happy ending.

When is this film going to finish! Oh no, we still have one more segment to sit through.

The final story pretty much scores all the points on the entertainment front for the performances of local policeman Bernard Blier (Raoul) and street-singer Yves Montand (Raoul) in a comedic story of unrequited love. The boy who plays the violin atrociously also throws in some comedy by sneezing during his performance. It's the best segment of the four but not enough to save the whole film experience.

This film goes on far too long and doesn't provide the required amount of entertainment for such a long investment of your time.

Murder Without Crime (1950)

What's in the ottoman chest?

[7/10 · 27 April 2024]

A rather unrelatable and over-emoting Derek Farr (Stephen) has a row with his wife Patricia Plunkett (Jan) which causes her to storm off to stay with a friend. Only she doesn't. She ends up staying at a hotel around the corner. Meanwhile, Farr goes out to a club with his landlord Dennis Price (Matthew) where Farr meets with good-time girl Joan Dowling (Grena). God knows why but Dowling agrees to go home with Farr! This won't look good if Plunkett returns, which is what she does. However, something is not quite right. Farr is extra jumpy and still generally unpleasant whilst landlord Price is ever present with his witty and suspicious insinuations as to where Dowling may be. Where is Dowling? She has disappeared and there is a piece of furniture - an ottoman chest - which takes on a central role. Surely not! Well, we have all seen Farr do it.

The two best characters are Dowling and Price and the apartment is richly decorated with atmospheric furniture which adds to the spooky feel to the film. It's an entertaining thriller that keeps up the suspense and throws in some surprises along the way. The film has similarities to "Rope" (1948) and "Laura" (1944).

Woman on the Run (1950)

Man on the run

[7/10 · 13 April 2024]

Ross Elliott (Frank) witnesses a murder and then takes off once the police arrive and start questioning him. Inspector Robert Keith (Ferris) tells him he is safer to be in police custody and under protection rather than out in the open for the killer to seek him out and silence him for good. Elliott takes his chance and legs it and we spend the film trying to track him down by following the attempts of his wife Ann Sheridan (Eleanor) to do this. Can she succeed or will the killer get to him first?

Dennis O'Keefe (Dan) plays an annoying journalist in this film but stick with it as his character improves about halfway through. Other minus points in this film come from Sheridan's attitude towards her husband. Does she care about him or does she not care? There is an inconsistency in her attitude which confuses the viewer as does her openness to team up with journalist O'Keefe. Meanwhile detective Keith is a pretty rubbish actor, barking out his lines in a Whit Bissell manner, and intonating everything with his high-pitched croak. Who let him in? Anyway, interestingly, he was married to the legend Peg Entwistle who has haunted the "Hollywood" lights since her suicide in 1932. The film has also been given the wrong title!

However, the story is good and entertains as we all wonder where on earth Elliott has got to. And poor innocent Reiko Sato (Suzie). She didn't deserve that.

Rocketship X-M (1950)

5-4-3-2-1

[5/10 · 12 April 2024]

A crew take off into space to land on the moon. However, once on their journey, they get re-directed to Mars instead. Can they make it back to Earth to let the world know what they discover?

The film breaks up into 4 stages. We are first introduced to the cast and given an explanation of the mission. Ok, the scene is set. We then proceed to take-off and this next stage is where the film loses momentum. They are in the rocketship in space and we just get bored. I nearly fell asleep twice. The third stage takes us into a sort of "Planet of the Apes" film and is presented in a red-coloured hue to signify Mars (I assume). It's fun (kind of silly). Finally, we get a poignant ending.

The ending is memorable but the rest of the film up to that point is slightly dull and so it doesn't merit a second viewing. Seen it. What they find could well be the truth. Somewhere.

No Trace (1950)

"Doomed" to write a novel

[7/10 · 10 April 2024]

It's always great to see a film with John Laurie of "We're doomed" famed from "Dad's Army". You just will him to say it whenever he appears - ha ha! In this film, he plays the Inspector in charge of solving a murder and takes along the rather big-headed crime author Hugh Sinclair (Robert) as part of a friendly understanding between the two. Perhaps Sinclair can solve the crime before the Inspector can? If only Laurie knew.

It's a good film with some dodgy accents thrown in - what is blackmailer Michael Brennan (Fenton) trying to do with that terrible American accent! And bad girl Dora Bryan (Maisie) exaggerates her cockney accent a bit. Still, she fits the bill as a drunken slapper. The film unravels itself with suitable tension as the cast begin to realize what has gone on thanks to the inquisitive hunches of Sinclair's secretary Dinah Sheridan (Linda) and Laurie's assistant Barry Morse (John).

We are told that everyone has a novel inside them. Just make sure you aren't completely autobiographical. Otherwise........"We are all doomed!"

Dial 1119 (1950)

A nice quiet drink

[7/10 · 8 April 2024]

There's a psycho on the bus who has escaped from a mental facility and he is dangerous. He will kill if provided with the right triggers. Say "Hello" to Marshall Thompson (Wyckoff). He looks like an everyday kind of guy. He acquires a gun on his bus journey to town and heads to a bar where they have a TV screen that unfortunately transmits news bulletins. Well, Thompson can't have that and the film moves into a hostage situation where he gives the police a deadline to speak with someone or else he starts killing. There are 6 unfortunate people locked in with Thompson and we watch to see if they can make it out unharmed.

It's an interesting film that follows the mundane and amusing bar chat between various characters whilst they make plans for the night, etc and then all of a sudden, it's all change as they become the targets of psycho man. We get tense moments and the characters do ok. The women are a bit annoying - barfly Virginia Field (Freddy) has a terrible laugh which lets her down. Andrea King (Helen) is just a bit pathetic on occasions although she is part of the amusing conversation with the man who is sliming all over her. He is cringe-funny. I think it's Leon Ames in this role.

An entertaining film with good use of the air con system as a point of relevance and fascination. It may have you looking at air con systems in a new light. Also, bus drivers have a gun and holster placed very showingly above their driving seat! What on earth is that crazy system about? Surely someone must have figured out the simple equation of gun + psycho = disaster. Not in America.

This Side of the Law (1950)

Well, well, well....

[7/10 · 8 April 2024]

Get out of that of you can. Kent Taylor (David) is at the bottom of a covered well at the film's beginning. We go to flashback to tell the story of how this has come to pass. The story develops gradually so that you are not given all the information as to what is really going on. We learn what is happening as our lead man Taylor discovers things. Lawyer Robert Douglas (Cagle) holds the strings as to what is really happening and reveals things when necessary. It is his plan to have Taylor turn up at an Estate and pretend to be the long-lost owner so that the Estate's money does not get passed on to any undesirable characters who currently live on the premises.

It's an entertaining film with a good cast and scenery that gives you a spooky vibe. It's well filmed and keeps you guessing at the mysterious relationships and who is colluding with who. It's a small cast with a special mention to Janis Paige (Nadine) as my favourite character who plays the not-so-dumb relative of Taylor.

One reviewer has focused on the cliff aspects of the film and makes a good contribution. A good cliffy location for this film to play out. An enjoyable film with a good technique for getting out of a well should you ever fall into one.

Spy Hunt (1950)

Panther hunt

[4/10 · 6 April 2024]

A miniature microfiche with important information for the Allies in WW2 needs to be smuggled out of Europe and Marta Toren (Catherine) slots it into the collar of one of two panthers that are being transported to the UK by Howard Duff (Steve). However, the train that is transporting them is hijacked and the panthers escape into the European mountainous and snowy terrain. Their position is located and a cluster of individuals turn up at a hotel nearby, all with an interest in the story - an artist, a journalist, etc. There must be a spy from the enemy amongst these characters but who is it?

It's not the best quality film and some of the male characters look the same so it can be confusing. The majority of the film seems to be running around after panthers. We have dogs chasing after them and shots of panthers running about and snarling. Then more scenes with dogs running about. It's a bit like a nature documentary at times. We get a tense scene at the film's end when Toren plays out a bluff but that is the only noteworthy part of the film. There is an English journalist amongst the group who will have you cringing or laughing every time he speaks. What plummy nonsense! And you may not guess the bad guys.

Overall, the film was ok to watch in a Sherlock Holmes mystery kind of way but I kept wondering when it was just going to end. I prefer "The Pink Panther" to this panther malarky.

Destination Murder (1950)

Destination Moonlight Sonata

[7/10 · 4 April 2024]

This is an entertaining film that moves along at pace and keeps you glued to the storyline as it unravels with twists and turns and unexpected revelations. Joyce MacKenzie (Laura) takes it upon herself to find out who killed her father by going undercover and making acquaintances all connected to "Vogue" nightclub.

The cast do a good job and I recognized the delivery man Stanley Clements (Jackie) as being the tough-talking choir boy from Going My Way (1944) starring Bing Crosby. He looks exactly the same and plays a similar street-wise role. He also gets a funny moment when he demands $5,000.00 from gangster Albert Dekker (Armitage). Read up how Dekker died in real life - I think there is an unsolved crime there.

We also get to see Steve Gibson's Redcaps perform as they are the resident band that plays at "Vogue" nightclub and Myrna Dell (Alice) deserves a mention as the scheming floozy.

As for the Moonlight Sonata, it's a good piece of music and this film gives it a prominent spot in the film's suspense. As a contrast, check out the ice routine performed to it by those ice-pair skating greats of the 1980s/90s Ekatarina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. Simply the best!

Armored Car Robbery (1950)

Armoured Car Robbery!!

[5/10 · 4 April 2024]

Can you guess what this film is about? There you go, so that's the plot summary.

The film is well-made and the acting is good on all counts. Charles McGraw is usually a sign that the film will be good and here he plays the detective on the tail of the armoured car robbery gang, led by William Talman, who is also good in all his roles. Talman leads a gang of four who have to work out how to divide the money and flea before they get caught.

Talman has got an unusually large head. You know when people wear hats, there is usually a top bit of the hat that contains air and no actual head. Think of a top hat. There is a big gap of air under the top bit of the hat. Well, imagine if the top bit of the top hat was filled out by someone's head. That is Talman.

The story keeps you watching but I'm afraid it never set alight on the excitement front as it includes the very convenient get-out clause of 'shoot them'. Once the shot has been fired, that's it - end of scene. Bang! You're dead. Not very exciting or interesting, I'm afraid. As one of my bosses once said to me - lazy thinking!

All About Eve (1950)

All about fame

[7/10 · 31 March 2024]

We are at an awards ceremony at the point when the best actress is about to be announced and journalist George Sanders (DeWitt) is in attendance. He narrates to the audience and introduces our main characters who are also in attendance. We then go into flashback to follow the story that has brought us to the current moment.

It is an entertaining dialogue-driven film that exposes the egos and ruthlessness that is required to succeed as a star in the world of the theatre. How badly do you want that part? Just watch Bette Davis (Margo) and Anne Baxter (Eve) as they show you.

There isn't a bad performance in the cast and Bette Davis sure knows how to deliver her lines. She gives a masterclass and is a standout. Anne Baxter does well as the aspiring wannabe. Is she perhaps just too nice? Watch and find out. Ha ha!

It's a shame that the film starts off with endless dialogue - blah blah blah - get on with it! And the running length is too long. No film needs to be over 2 hours for goodness sake. But these points aside, it is an entertaining story thanks to the performances of the cast.

Double Deal (1950)

I'll Oilwells love you

[6/10 · 30 March 2024]

Richard Denning (Buzz) rides into a small oil town and heads to the nearest bar looking for work. Bingo! That was easy. He's got a job. Seemingly, he is an engineering expert capable of turning a profit for an oil rig with a lame past as well as providing muscle against sabotage. It's a good CV! He eyes up Marie Windsor (Terry) on their first meeting and you sense that love is in the air. He is not subtle about it - ha ha! Well, there is a bad element in town, of course, in the form of ruthless businesswoman Fay Baker (Lilly) and she has her eyes on the oil rig for herself. Well, some bodies pile up and there are murders to solve.

It's an alright film to watch, made interesting by the role of Fay Baker. She is excellent and very memorable as the town's top girl. You don't mess with her. We needed more scenes with her. Marie Windsor starts the film off in a hard-edged manner but seems to soften towards the end, and you look forward to the showdown that you know will come at some point between Baker and Windsor. The audience is just waiting for that Joan Collins v Linda Evans Dynasty catfight. As the film is set in the world of oilfields, it will make you think of the Dallas/Dynasty days.

Set against this is the very dreadful character of the town's drunk lawyer Taylor Holmes (Corpus). Yeah, we get it - he's drunk all the time. Why are there so many scenes with him being drunk and unfunny? One scene really tests the patience when he is making a meal with his stupid pet monkey. No need for this scene at all - it is not endearing as it is obviously supposed to be. Well, I guess he is relevant to the story. By the way, this film has a twist that I guarantee you will not expect.

"I'll Oilwells love you" sang the great Dolly Parton on one of her 1960s albums.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Cats on the roof

[8/10 · 24 March 2024]

Retired jewel thief Cary Grant (Robie) lives in a fantastic villa in the South of France. However, there has been a spate of jewel robberies in the area recently and all suspicion is pointed in his direction. He decides to catch this new thief red-handed to prove his innocence to all those in his new community and to the local police force who all have no doubt that he is responsible.

This is an enjoyable film on all counts - acting, setting, scenery, plotline and pacing. It is like a James Bond blueprint and delivers an easy watch. You also get those eerie scenes with Grace Kelly (Frances) speeding around the mountain roads of Monaco. How weird is that!

You will also notice an interesting bus passenger.

Lonely Heart Bandits (1950)

Consider her lost

[5/10 · 24 March 2024]

John Eldridge (Wade) and Dorothy Patrick (Louise) team up to fleece lonely heart club members of their wealth. Eldridge puts himself forward as the dating bait and Patrick does her bit to ensure their plan brings in the money. She provides the most memorable sequence of the film set on a train and the funniest dialogue. When asked by Eldridge about her mission to "lose" their victim Ann Doran (Nancy), she replies that he can "consider her lost". Ha ha.

Unfortunately, the picture quality isn't great and we don't have any real emotional involvement in any of it as the film is very paint by numbers. This happens and then that happens and then this happens, etc and then it is the end.

It reminded me of a better film on a similar topic - "Honeymoon Killers" (1970) - which is based on truth. This could have been a good film with a better budget and longer running time.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)

Where are the crown jewels?

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

George Zucco (Moriarty) intends to outwit Basil Rathbone (Sherlock) and end his career in one final triumphant battle of the egos. Zucco will retire comfortably whilst Rathbone's reputation will be in ruins. He sets about his plan and it contains several layers. When Rathbone is looking at one puzzle that needs solving, Zucco will strike with his intended main target.

The cast are entertaining in this offering with Nigel Bruce (Watson) excelling himself on the comedy front. I don't mean in that unfunny British-buffoonery style that is never funny but he is actually funny! There are some atmospheric scenes with a flute player and a hilarious sequence when Peter Willes (Lloyd) decides to stay safe and out of sight as his life is in imminent danger. Hilarious where he decides to go to ensure his safety. Alone! It's all part of the film's enjoyment.

I think I'll take up the flute in my retirement - sounds like there are some good tunes out there! One final thought on the film - "Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!" Ha ha.

Dust Be My Destiny (1939)

On the lam

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

John Garfield (Joe) is released from prison after being found innocent and now has a chip on his shoulder thanks to the penal system finding him guilty in the first place. He goes looking for work but gets caught jumping trains and his insolent manner does not help with his sentencing. He's back inside a corrective institution, this time a jail/work farm where he comes across Priscilla Lane (Mabel). Together, they make a break and try to live under the radar whilst being hunted for murder.

This film is a series of episodes which keep you watching until we get to a court case at the film's end which descends into sentimental claptrap and shoves Moroni Olson into the picture as a defense lawyer who is atrocious in his part. His monotone delivery is so off that his name becomes a true description (just drop the "i" from his first name) of his acting ability. It's a shame they had to change the original ending which would have left us with a better film. As it is, smiles all round.

There is a segment in which Garfield and Lane get fed up with each other along a road and decide to split up, even though they are newly married. The way the scene is filmed is tense and fraught with the realism of a relationship that will hook you into the sequence and have you rooting for them to stay together. Then a hitch-hiker stops to give Lane a lift. The behaviours and emotions during this sequence are spot on for anyone who has ever had a row and doesn't really want things to go the way they are going.

A few soppy moments (why does Ferike Boros always turn up as a sickeningly kind older lady - aaarrggh!) but an engaging film to watch.

Second Fiddle (1939)

Third rate

[3/10 · 8 March 2024]

Well, it's just all pretty boring. We get ice skater Sonja Henie (Trudi) blatantly under-used when it comes to demonstrating her actual talent of ice-skating and she performs some bland routines. She is also not a babe that someone like agent Tyrone Power (Jimmy) would fall in love with. He is too good-looking for her and would be better suited to a Marlene Dietrich type. Henie really belongs with someone like singer Rudy Vallee (Roger) which makes up another of the plot elements. She is plucked from obscurity to star in the smash-hit film of the year and is given a false romance with up-and-coming singer Vallee to keep up appearances and help propel his singing career. Of course, Vallee has a girlfriend and Henie has a boyfriend who just gets written out of this film! It's a comedy and so a very unrealistic love outcome resolves itself by the end of the film.

Yep, it's boring. Edna May Oliver (Phoebe) as Henie's aunt provides some knowing comedy and Vallee is a good singer. The most memorable thing about the film is a song in the diner with some fat girls singing. I prefer the thin girls dressed as waitresses singing a la Andrews Sisters in the same number. The film is a let-down and Power is miscast even though he is fine in the role. Sonja Henie is a funny looking thing so it is quite amusing to look at her whenever she is on screen.

East Side of Heaven (1939)

A baby that isn't annoying

[7/10 · 27 February 2024]

Easy-going Bing (Denny) has a job as a singing telegram and is engaged to receptionist Joan Blondell (Mary). However, things go wrong for Bing when he is tricked into singing Happy Birthday to the influential and controlling character that is C Aubrey Smith (Barrett Snr). He loses his job but gets another as a singing cab driver! They had some weird ideas in those days. The plot takes a crazy turn about halfway through when Bing is charged with looking after a baby and all kinds of confusion and misunderstandings ensue before the film resolves itself into a happy ending.

It's an easy-to-watch film that passes the time enjoyably with 2 points to note. The first is that the baby isn't annoying. In fact, the baby is a scene stealer as you watch her interactions with the characters - it is quite fascinating as she reaches to grab Blondell's hair or casts loving looks at Bing hoping he will croon and cradle her again. I usually can't stand children in films but this one is ok. The second is that Mischa Auer (Nicky) isn't annoying. He plays Bing's roommate and he is actually quite funny. I didn't expect that as he is usually very odd, playing for comedy and never hitting the mark. Well, in this film he is funny! Alongside some humorous dialogue is a very funny bell-boy - check him out!

It's another good film with a misunderstanding about a baby from 1939, the other being "Bachelor Mother" starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven.

Dancing Co-Ed (1939)

One hot dog, please

[7/10 · 24 February 2024]

Those hot dog stands that open in the evening and serve you with a tray are sadly missed these days. That seems like a perfect restaurant date for young lovers today. I know I would definitely treat my wife to the experience. I don't drive so she would have to do that part. And if she offered to pay for her share, then it's a perfect romantic date to remember. Ha ha. That's the style of student journalist Richard Carlson (Pug) in this film. He plays the love interest to dancer Lana Turner (Patty) who has secretly entered a competition to land a film role as part of a dance partnership with established star Lee Bowman (Freddy). She has already been guaranteed the role but the film studio is pretending they are searching for a college star. So, Turner has to enroll at college in order to make her appointment valid. She goes along to college with film studio secretary Ann Rutherford (Eve) who is there to take care of the academic side of college on Lana's behalf. However, Carlson is convinced that there is skullduggery attached to this competition and launches his own journalistic investigation.

It's a comedy musical. However, it has too many comedy characters - we didn't need both Leon Errol and Roscoe Karns in the same film as they pretty much do the same kind of schtick - and the film can be a bit too shouty as a consequence whenever these characters are on screen. No more fast-talking nonsense. It isn't funny! Lana Turner is good and Rutherford compliments her well and it is Turner's dancing that will leave an impressive lasting memory. There is also a twist to the story's ending. It is a nonsense film but more enjoyable than I had anticipated delivering a feel-good factor whilst you watch it.

Geronimo (1939)

Geronimo!

[5/10 · 19 February 2024]

... is what we used to shout whenever we jumped from the diving board into the swimming pool at school when we were about 8 years old. So, I guess the guy has provided a legacy. In this film, General Ralph Meeker (Steele) is charged with ending the troubles with Indian war leader Chief Thundercloud (Geronimo) who is taking revenge on white settlements for killing his family. Under Meeker's command is Captain Preston Foster (Starrett), Indian Scout Hunter Andy Devine (Sneezer) and Meeker's son William Henry (John) as a rookie soldier. However, there is also a villainous Gene Lockhart (Gillespie) who is selling the latest guns and ammunition to Thundercloud and providing tactical information to him. Can the General negotiate peace? No is the answer.

The film is ok. Unfortunately, there are no characters to root for as the cast are slightly disappointing. We needed a John Carradine or someone with charisma or some kind of personality. Somebody who could grab the audience attention and engage us with. I'm afraid that we don't really care about this lot. The film is basically about the father-son relationship between Meeker and Henry, both of whom are pretty annoying, especially Henry. We watch to see how the film pans out but that's it. This is not a true story so it loses a mark for this as well. An ok watch.

Hotel for Women (1939)

A 30-day soap opera

[6/10 · 16 February 2024]

Linda Darnell (Marcia) checks into the Hotel for Women in New York so she can rekindle her romance with James Ellison (Jeff). However, Ellison is more pre-occupied with forging ahead with his architecture career and attending social parties and dating other women who may be beneficial to his client database. Darnell is disappointed and makes plans to leave and head back to Syracuse when an opportunistic date turns up courtesy of fellow Hotel guest Ann Sothern (Eileen). This begins a sequence of events that sees Darnell become an immediate modelling sensation. However, fame can be a fleeting moment.

The picture quality isn't great but it doesn't ruin the film, which is a take on the "Stage Door" (1937) formula and other soap opera stories set in a female residency. This one goes for the high-end glamour spectrum as opposed to the boarding-house scenarios. The cast are good - Sothern being the funniest and liveliest character. Johnny Halliday is suitably cast as the suave womanizer who is Ellison's boss and Elsa Maxwell (Mrs Tilford) is good value as the lesbian matriarch. She has some great lines and sound philosophy about life. My wife and I laughed in agreement when she talked about acquiring stuff in early life and then getting rid of it all in later life. Very true.

It's an easy-going film with a soap-opera drama involving the romance between Darnell and Ellison and a dramatic 3's-a-crowd situation between Darnell, Ellison and Lynn Bari (Barbara). Bang! I didn't see that coming.

The Last Turning (1939)

Drive carefully

[7/10 · 11 February 2024]

For all those who have cars, please drive carefully and not like the lunatic that is Fernand Gravey (Frank) in this film. He is an unpleasant drifter who arrives at an isolated petrol station and stays on to help with the business on the request of owner Michel Simon (Nick). Simon is lonely and wants a friend to talk to. He has a much younger attractive wife - Corinne Luchaire (Cora) - but that doesn't count for company does it! The only reason Gravey accepts this offer is because of the much younger attractive wife. I think we can see trouble brewing....

The cast are good apart from Gravey who is not good at all in the lead role mainly due to his unpleasant nature. You just cannot relate to him and he doesn't seem to be able to produce any acting nuances that could help build tension. He's just a straightforward arse-hole.

The language in this film is funny as the dialogue is very direct. These people say what they feel - ha ha. My wife particularly enjoyed the lines as spoken by Luchaire when she tells Gravey that she is beginning to like him less and less. I hear this on a regular basis!

We get a body count that seems disproportionately high given the number of characters we are introduced to. The introduction of judge Marcel Vallée and the blackmailing cousin Robert Le Vigan add to the tension as they both have suspicions about the actions of Gravey and Luchaire. The film unfolds as a tragedy and is an enjoyable first run of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'.

Honolulu (1939)

Honolulu or New York?

[6/10 · 10 February 2024]

Robert Young plays a dual role. One is as a film star pestered by fans who is due to make personal appearances in New York and the other is as an owner of a pineapple plantation in Honolulu. These two characters swap roles with one another due to their similarity in looks and their need to both get away to something different. Much confusion follows, especially on the female front until we get the resolution that we all know is coming.

It's a comedy musical with dancer Eleanor Powell (Dorothy) as the love interest for one of the Youngs and Rita Johnson (Cecilia) as the other love interest. There is some amusing dialogue but the film has to lose marks for the annoying character of Chinese servant Willie Fung (Wong) who spouts vacuous proverbs and goes through the film with an inane grin on his face. Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (Washington) plays a much funnier servant but regrettably disappears after the beginning of the film. He doesn't stick around when the dead come back - ha ha! Another minus is the over-zealous and quite annoying Gracie Allen (Millie) who plays Powell's chaperone. Whilst she does have some highlights - singing and dancing and the occasional funny delivery - overall she is an irritation. It is also a shame that we didn't focus more on the song where Kealohu Holt dances a hula number - it's a good song and Kealohu should have been afforded more respect and screen time given her local status.

Powell entertains as expected in the dance routines. What do you do with a skipping rope? Answer - tap dance with it!

Fifth Avenue Girl (1939)

Birthday blues

[6/10 · 5 February 2024]

A film about the owner of a company Walter Connolly (Timothy) whose family life has become disconnected from him as he concentrates on business matters. His wife Verree Teasdale (Martha) is going out on the town with other men and Connolly has no-one to celebrate his birthday with. He meets Ginger Rogers (Mary) in the park and asks her to accompany him for an expensive meal. He then asks her to work for him in an unusual role as live-in secretary to get his wife jealous, a role that she accepts. It's a comedy so all family matters get resolved in the end.

The film started badly as we have an unnecessarily boring scene at a company board meeting. What was that about and why was it in the film. Do they want to lose viewers? That sequence should have been edited out. Rogers plays her sharp-tongued usual self but can come across as occasionally mean with this style. There are some funny dialogue exchanges and the film doesn't really make any sense but just go with it and you get a typical afternoon type of film.

That was one very busy park. How great it would be if people still went to walk in the park at night and it was a safe place to go with plenty of people around, well-lit areas, kiosks open for nourishment and a band playing for entertainment. We really have gone backwards as a species as instead of socializing each night in this way, we sit at home and watch television that is crammed with wannabe idiots on reality tv shows.