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wrich2000
Reviews
Scrooge (1951)
A wonderful Scrooge, et AL
I saw this film as a young teenager in New York and loved it. Alistair Sim IS Scrooge. The people's faces were marvelous, costuming perfect and the attitude of the times very well conveyed. The fact that the cast was English saved it from some lesser versions with Americans. It has so much humanity conveyed by Scrooge's path to redemption that we can see opportunity after opportunity to review our own lives.
Patrick Macknee is priceless as the host. He was in it as a very young person. Hordern was marvelous as young Marley and his ghost.
The story is eternal in many ways. We have the DVD with the original Rudolph as the end piece. Thoroughly American.
Buy the DVD, it is an annual treat for us to watch it.
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
The most real fight picture ever made besides Raging Bull
DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!
This film is a masterpiece which depicted the seamy side of low level boxing at St. Nichols or "St. Nicks" Arena in Brooklyn, NY. The old Stillman Gym shots show just how few ever made any money or fame before being destroyed by too many punches to the head. Jackie Gleason personified the low rent scum that rode any fighter to death. Rivera was so hopelessly trapped that Anthony Quinn caught the essence of the man and his slow descent into being a meal ticket for Gleason and a bad joke in the wrestling game. Harris was brilliant as the NY Social Worker and idealist. She caught the last glimmer of hope in Rivera and tried to help but was defeated when he turned out to be hopelessly owned by Gleason. Rooney was brilliant but I preferred Myron McCormick in the TV film a few years earlier. Having been to St. Knicks as a kid, I know the realness of this story because I saw them, smelled them and felt for some of the dying, which is what most of them were doing. All the stars in the world for this one.