LIBIDO

Giancarlo Giannini in his screen debut

LIBIDO (1965). Directed by Julian Berry Storff (Ernesto Gastaldi and Vittorio Salerno). 

As a young boy, Christian came across a mirrored room where his father brutalized and murdered women. Now an adult, Christian (Giancarlo Giannini of Black Belly of the Tarantula) returns to his father's beautiful mansion  after the man's death with his wife, Helene (Dominique Boschero), estate trustee Paul (Luciano Pigozzi), and Paul's dizzy blond wife, Brigitte (Mara Maryl). Christian has three months before he will come into complete control of his father's assets, but for now Paul is in charge. Christian is terribly afraid that he has inherited his father's malevolent tendencies, or that one or more of the others are conspiring against him. He also is afraid that his father may still be alive ... 

Dominique Boschero and Mara Maryl

With a wonderful location and some interesting actors -- Giannini in his first picture (in the lead role no less) is especially compelling -- Libido should have emerged a memorable picture but despite a (not entirely unexpected) final twist, it is a real disappointment. The movie is too slow to be suspenseful and we're kept in the dark about much of the back story. On the plus side it has to be said that the movie is unpredictable and the dubbing job is first-class. With his excellent performance in this, it is no surprise that Giannini eventually became an internationally famous actor.

Verdict: Any movie that begins with a quote from Sigmund Freud can't be all bad -- or that good! **1/4. 

MARLOWE (1969)

Sharon Farrell and James Garner

MARLOWE (1969). Director: Paul Bogart. 

Philip Marlowe (James Garner of The Children's Hour) is hired by mousy Orfamay Quest (Sharon Farrell of It's Alive) to find her brother, but during his search the P.I. uncovers a blackmail plot involving squeaky queen sitcom star Mavis Wald (Gayle Hunnicutt of Dallas), who is having an affair with a racketeer named Steelgrave (H. M. Wynant). Little does he know that both cases are connected. Marlowe stumbles over a couple of corpses of men who have been killed with an icepick, and does his best to get along with Lt. French (Carroll O'Connor) and Sgt. Beifus (Kenneth Tobey). Two other characters Marlowe has to deal with are sexy stripper Delores Gonzales (Rita Moreno) and the karate-chopping enforcer Winslow Wong (Bruce Lee). 

Garner with Hunnicutt

Marlowe is an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's 1940's novel "The Little Sister," and this film almost manages to make a little more sense of its convoluted plot, but not quite. The movie updates the story to the sixties when it was filmed, so one has to look at Garner -- who is not bad -- as an alternate modern version of Philip Marlowe, but hardly the real deal. The best performances in this are actually from a truly excellent Sharon Farrell, O'Connor (who gets one speech taken from the novel), Tobey, and Moreno, who does a very sexy dance late in the proceedings. William Daniels and Jackie Coogan also have good roles and run with them. Hunnicutt is adequate in a smaller and less showy role than Garner or Farrell, although she gets billed after Garner. She and Farrell have a brief "cat fight."

Paging Rockford

Bruce Lee features in two sequences. The first is a funny one in which Lee breaks up Marlowe's office, upsetting the apparently straight hairdresser, Chuck (Christopher Cary), who is friendly with Marlowe, takes his messages, and teaches his trade to women in the office next door. The second is a really stupid sequence in which Lee -- discombobulated after Marlowe suggests he's gay -- hurls himself at his opponent and goes right over a railing several stories high. (As others have noted, any fight between Lee and Garner would actually not have ended well for Garner.)

Garner never appeared again as Marlowe, but he fled to television and starred as a private eye in The Rockford Files for several years beginning in 1974. 

Verdict: This is a modestly entertaining, somewhat confusing private eye flick made twenty years too late. **1/2. 

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939). Director: Nick Grinde. 

A young assistant agrees to become part of an experiment with a doctor he works with, Savaard (Boris Karloff), even though the assistant's fiancee, Betty (Ann Doran), begs him not to do it. In essence the young man has to be killed so that Savaard can bring him back to life. Horrified, Betty gets the authorities, who shut Savaard down just before he can revive his assistant, dooming the young man to an early death. Savaard is put on trial for murder, and vows revenge on all those who put him away. The fascinating climax has him trapping everyone in an old house and swearing that every fifteen minutes someone will die! Karloff, not exactly looking fetching with blond, wavy hair, gives one of his best performances in this entertaining and interesting thriller. 

Verdict: One of the better Karloff vehicles. ***.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN. Ethan Mordden. Harry N. Abrahms; 1992

This huge, heavily illustrated, and beautifully written coffee table tome on the wonderful duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is not only a visual treat but is packed with information on these two gentlemen and musical theater in general. R&H began their collaboration with the influential Oklahoma, then followed this with such great musicals as Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound of Music and others. Mordden writes with enthusiasm, wit, and knowledge about these works, and also devotes a chapter to the team's one and only score written specifically for a film, State Fair. Mordden also provides backstage details and looks at the cast members of these shows, some of whom were famous, some of whom faded into obscurity. Mordden also looks at the film  versions of such shows as Oklahoma, South Pacific, the mega-hit Sound of Music and others, comparing both versions with his usual verve. An absolute must for devotees. Mordden has written many other books on musical theater and this is one of his best.

Verdict: Superb book! ****.

LADY AND THE TRAMP

LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955). Directors: Geronimi; Jackson.

In this wonderful cartoon period piece from Disney a young couple take in a beautiful cocker spaniel puppy that they name Lady. Lady is a bit confused when there's a new arrival in the household -- the patter of little feet -- but things really get out of control when an aunt comes to take care of the baby when the parents are out of town. The aunt doesn't think much of dogs but has two Siamese cats ["We are Siamese if you please"]. Lady is befriended by a scotty and a bloodhound but has real adventure with a tramp dog named Butch, who has no desire to settle down and live life with a collar. The scene when the two romantically share a plate of spaghetti is a real charmer (although the Italian stereotypes are a bit tiresome). With beautiful drawings and fluid animation, this is a certified Disney masterpiece. Voices by Peggy Lee, Verna Felton, Alan Reed, and others. 

Verdict: Delightful for all ages. ****.

THE NOTORIOUS LANDLADY

Kim Novak and Jack Lemmon

THE NOTORIOUS LANDLADY (1962). Director: Richard Quine. 

Newly arrived in London, Bill Gridley (Jack Lemmon) of the U.S. Embassy, looks for a flat to rent and winds up in the beautiful townhouse of Carly Hardwicke (Kim Novak). His boss, Ambruster (Fred Astaire) thinks the name of his employee's new landlady sounds familiar, and he is horrified when someone in the research department reminds him of just who Mrs. Hardwicke really is. It seems that her husband vanished without a trace several months ago, and now everyone is convinced that the "notorious" woman murdered the missing man! Before Ambruster can order Bill to find new quarters, Inspector Oliphant (Lionel Jeffries) importunes him to stay where he is and find out whatever he can about the supposed black widow. 

Jack Lemmon and Fred Astaire

The first half of The Notorious Landlady is delightful, full of suspense, and bolstered by fine performances from the entire cast. Astaire makes his character more likable than he might have been had he been played by another actor. There are also good turns from Estelle Winwood [The Magic Sword], Maxwell Reed [Daughter of Darkness], Henry Daniell [Siren of Atlantis], and Phillipa Bevans. The second half of the film, after certain revelations have been made, goes a bit awry, with perhaps too much running around and the hasty unveiling of tricky plot points, but it recovers at the end with an amusing and exciting chase sequence backed up by the strains of Gilbert and Sullivan. Good show!

Verdict: The picture and the cast have a lot of charm! ***

FOREVER DARLING

Desi Arnaz, James Mason, Lucille Ball

FOREVER DARLING (1956). Director: Alexander Hall. 

Lorenzo or Larry Vega (Desi Arnaz), a chemist working on a new bug killer, is married to Susan (Lucille Ball), who is much influenced by her snobbish cousin, Millie (Natalie Schafer of Female on the Beach), whom Larry can't stand. Larry also feels that he and his wife are drifting apart after several years of marriage. He is hoping to rekindle things by taking her with him on a work-related trip, an idea that doesn't sit well with Susan. Then who should appear in her bedroom one night but James Mason (James Mason), who is actually Susan's guardian angel wearing the face of someone she admires. "James" gives Susan some sage advice, and convinces her to go off on a short trip with Larry so he can test his new insecticide, but things may not go exactly as planned ...  

Arnaz and Lucy

Made at the height of the popularity of I Love Lucy, the main strength of Forever Darling is its cast. Not exactly playing the Ricardos, Arnaz and Ball are as wonderful as ever, James Mason -- who probably wondered how he ever wound up in this film -- is classy and excellent, and the ever-adept Louis Calhern [The Asphalt Jungle] nearly steals the movie -- no easy feat -- as Susan's highly amusing father. Then we've also got Natalie Schafer, Nancy Kulp as the maid, John Hoyt and Willis Bouchey as Larry's associates, Mabel Albertson in a brief turn as a reporter, and John Emery in a very funny bit as a psychiatrist who tries to explain to Susan why she's seeing strange men in her bedroom. 

Forever Darling, alas, is not as good as the other film the Desi-Lucy combo did, the very funny The Long, Long Trailer, but it has its moments. What starts out almost as a somewhat sophisticated drawing room comedy turns into an episode of I Love Lucy as the couple have misadventures while camping, with their plastic boat springing a leak and so forth. It was probably decided that that was what the couple's fans wanted, but it makes the flick a bit lopsided. Nothing much really happens with the whole "guardian angel" idea, making the movie -- but for the delightful performances and a few laughs -- almost seem pointless. Still, it's Lucy! The theme song by composer Bronislau Kaper is pleasant, sung by the Ames brothers over the credits and by Desi late in the picture. He also sang the tune on an episode of Lucy. Marilyn Maxwell appears in a move-within-a-movie sequence with Mason. 

Verdict: Has a certain degree of charm and amusing performances, but the script -- an old one dusted off for Lucy and Desi -- could have used some work. **3/4. 

UNDER COLORADO SKIES

UNDER COLORADO SKIES (1947). Director: R. G. Springsteen. in TruColor. 

Bank teller and medical student Monte Hale (Monte Hale) is in the bank when it's robbed, and becomes the chief suspect not only in the robbery but the murder of the bank president. One of the real perpetrators is Jeff Collins (John Alvin of This Side of the Law), who happens to be the brother of Monte's fiancee Julia Collins (Lorna Gray of Daughter of Don Q). In a foolish attempt to protect the woman he loves from the truth, Monte runs off and then encounters a group in a runaway wagon, whom he rescues. These men turn out to be members of the Riders of the Purple Sage singing group (actually the Foy Willing band), who sign him  up without even hearing him sing. Hotel and saloon owner Lucky (Paul Hurst) hires the band, and proves generally helpful to Monte and Julia after she is shot during a stage coach robbery perpetrated by the Marlowe gang. After cutting a bullet out of Julia, Monte is forced to do the same thing for Marlowe (William Haade), the head of the gang, who takes a liking to him. For his part, Monte manages to convince Marlowe that he's really on his side. But will Monte be able to pull off this deception? And what will happen when Julia learns the truth about her miserable polecat of a brother?

Monte Hale

Although forgotten by all but classic B western fans, Monte Hale was another popular Republic studios singing cowboy who had quite a following in his day. His comic book lasted eight years. A big attractive lug, if not quite as handsome as Roy Rogers, Hale was not a bad singer in his own right, had a very deep speaking voice, and more of a kind of "macho" presence than Rogers. His acting can best be described as adequate but ingratiating. Showing her versatility, Lorna Gray is quite different in this than she is in the occasionally villainous roles she would play in serials. This was the very first film for Gene Evans [The Giant Behemoth], who adeptly plays one of the gang members. Busy actor Hank Patterson is also in the cast as Slim, and he has an amusing drunk scene. R. G. Springsteen also directed Black Spurs and many others. The best song number -- there are several -- is Holiday for the Blues.

Verdict: Well-turned-out western musical fare with an appealingly gauche Hale in the lead. **3/4. 

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (1964)

"I'm SHY:" Carol Burnet as Winifred the Woebegone

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (1964 television presentation from the Broadway show.)  Directed by Joe Layton and Dave Geisel. Music by Mary Rodgers. Lyrics by Marshall Barer. 

Recently I saw a revival of the old Broadway hit Once Upon a Mattress --which made Carol Burnett (of Eunice) a major star -- at City Center in Manhattan with Sutton Foster in the lead. I remember seeing the TV adaptation of the show when I was a kid and decided to look for it on youtube -- and there it was (along with a 1973 color version also starring Burnett). Now I have to say Sutton Who? Burnett with her comic genius owns this role -- Princess Winifred the Woebegone -- no matter who else plays it in the future. She is marvelous and very funny. 

Joseph Bova with Burnett

Burnett is backed up by a very talented cast. As the queen, Jane White is bitchy perfection. (White was actually African-American, the daughter of the founder of the NAACP, and it's wonderful that the TV network didn't insist on hiring someone Caucasian to replace her.) Also transferred from the Broadway production was Joseph Bova as Prince Dauntless the Drab. I'm not certain if the others were on Broadway, but they consist of Shani Wallis as Lady Larken, Bill Hayes in fine voice as the Minstrel, Jack Gilford [A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum] as the mostly silent king, Jack Fletcher as the wizard, and Elliott Gould [Stolen: One Husband]  -- yes the man can sing and dance, too -- as the court jester. 

Jack Gilford and Elliott Gould

The only real quibble I have is that this version drops three of the best songs, two love duets for the minstrel and Lady Larken, and the show-stopping "Happily Ever After" number. Fortunately we've got Hayes and Wallis singing "Normandy," Burnett exuberantly performing the knock-out number "Shy," the queen planning Winifred's defeat in "Sensitivity," and Gould doing a splendid turn with "Soft Shoes." There is also a brief duet for the prince and Winifred that is not on the cast album and which I found on an additional youtube clip. Another change from Broadway is that the young lovers are secretly married in this, whereas in the stage show they are not -- and Larken is pregnant. That's a no-no for TV in the sixties!

Verdict: All in all this is delightful with a simply wonderful Burnett. ***1/4.

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (1972)

Carol Burnett sings "Shy"

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (1972 TV adaptation). Directed by Ron Field and Dave Powers. Music by Mary Rodgers. Lyrics by Marshall Barer.

Having done a black and white TV adaptation of her Broadway triumph, Carol Burnett decided to do it again -- this time in color -- about a decade later. Jack Gilford and Jane White reprise their roles as the king and queen, Bernadette Peters and Ron Husmann play the young lovers, Wally Cox is the jester, Ken Berry is Prince Dauntless, and Lyle Waggoner is the wizard, Sir Studley. At first you might think that Burnett is a little off her game, having lost that sort of gauche quality that she had before she became so famous, but then she digs into her showstopper "Happily Ever After" (left out of the earlier version) and brings the house down. She's sensational. 

Jane White and Ken Berry

However, she almost has to take a back seat to Jane White, who is even better than she was in the first version, and who is given a little more to do, such as being flirtatious with Sir Studley. One of the love duets, "In a Little While," arguably the best song in the show, has been reinstated, and the lovers -- the gal is pregnant -- are once again unmarried, this being the swingin' seventies. Ken Berry reveals a pleasant singing voice and while not quite as good as Joseph Bova in the original telecast, works well with Burnett. Ron Husmann was a busy Broadway performer. 

Verdict: Another charming and tuneful adaptation. ***.                    

NO DOWN PAYMENT

Patricia Owens and Jeffrey Hunter

NO DOWN PAYMENT (1957). Director: Martin Ritt. Colorized. 

David and Jean Martin (Jeffrey Hunter of Brainstorm and Patricia Owens of The Fly) move into a lovely post-war housing community called Sunrise Hill. Their neighbors include Jerry and Isabelle Flagg (Tony Randall and Sheree North); Troy and Leola Boone (Cameron Mitchell of Garden of Evil and Joanne Woodward); and Herman and Betty Kreitzer (Pat Hingle and Barbara Rush). The last couple seem to have the most stable and successful lives and marriage. Jerry cheats on Isabelle and puts on a bluff as a supposedly successful car salesman. Troy hopes to become the chief of police but is brutal to his wife when he is upset. Both men drink too  much. When Troy doesn't get the job he wants, he takes out his anger in horrible fashion on poor Jean Martin, who fears what her husband's retaliation might be ... 

Cameron Mitchell and Joanne Woodward

No Down Payment is an absorbing drama which looks at a variety of situations and marriages and does so with a degree of sensitivity and intelligence -- as well as some fine acting. Although she's playing in her over-familiar "poor dumb Southern waif" mode, Woodward gives one of the best performances, along with the always-underrated Mitchell. Tony Randall is a bit miscast as the sleazy lover boy and doesn't quite pull it off. Sheree North successfully subdues the "sex kitten" aspect of her persona. Robert H. Harris is given a couple of good scenes as Randall's boss. There's a very interesting sub-plot with Kreitzer's store employee, the Japanese-American Iko (Aki Aleong), hoping his boss will help him get a house in Sunrise Hill. At the time he appeared in this film, Hunter had been divorced from co-star Barbara Rush for two years. 

Verdict: Notable fifties drama with a fine cast. ***. 

APPOINTMENT WITH A SHADOW

George Nader

APPOINTMENT WITH A SHADOW (1957). Director: Richard Carlson. 

Paul Baxter (George Nader) once had a reputation as an outstanding reporter, but that reputation has been demolished by his alcoholism. His girlfriend, Penny (Joanna Moore), wants to stand by him -- despite the attitude of her highly disapproving brother, Lt. Spencer (Brian Keith) -- but she's reaching the end of her limit. Paul begs her for one last chance, and then fate intervenes. Paul almost literally runs into a gangster, Dutch Hayden (Frank DeKova), after he has supposedly just been shot down in the street by cops a moment before. Now there are two questions: will anyone believe that a notorious drunk like Paul actually saw Hayden, and will the real Hayden arrange to have Paul knocked off before anyone takes him seriously? 

George Nader and Frank DeKova

George Nader was a better actor than people gave him credit for, but the problem in this film is that he never quite comes off like a dissipated drunk -- he should look much, much worse for one thing. Moore makes a sympathetic girlfriend, Keith is on target as usual, and DeKova nearly walks off with the movie. Another important player is Virginia Field, who plays Hayden's girlfriend, the lady who fingered him without the cops being aware that it was actually Hayden's lookalike brother (talk about brotherly love). Nader and DeKova have a good confrontation scene near the end. The script doesn't really make the most of an interesting situation, but it's a fair to middling melodrama. Actor Richard Carlson directed several other films besides this one, as well as episodic television. 

Verdict: **1/2.  

DO YOU LOVE ME?

Dick Haymes and Maureen O'Hara

DO YOU LOVE ME? (1946). Director: Gregory Ratoff. 

Katherine Hilliard (Maureen O'Hara) is a rather plain college professor, dean of the School of Music, who loves classical music and is engaged to fellow professor Ralph Wainwright (Richard Gaines). Traveling to New York by train she is insulted by a trumpeter, Barry Clayton (Harry James), after she tells him she doesn't care for his music. Stung by his criticism and glamorizing herself, Katherine is soon getting wolf whistles from Barry, singer Jimmy Hale (Dick Haymes), and others. But true love never runs smoothly, so it may be a while before "Kitty," as she is called, and Jimmy can get together. 

Harry James with O'Hara

Do You Love Me? is another film that focuses somewhat on the battle between classical and swing music, although there seems to be a truce by the end of the film. The movie tries to make out classical music lovers as being stuffy, but doesn't quite succeed in this, in large part because the classical pieces that are chosen are so rousing and exciting that no one but an idiot could find them dull. As for the "modern"  tunes, they are all sung quite well by Haymes: "I Didn't Mean a Word I Said," is especially nice, as is "The More I See You," which has become a standard. Haymes has a very good voice. His acting is also swell, O'Hara is luminescent and gorgeous, and even James gives a professional enough performance, though his trumpet-playing is better. Betty Grable, who was married to James at the time, has an amusing cameo. If you blink you might miss Lex Barker as a party guest. As an associate of Katherine's Reginald Gardiner is Reginald Gardiner, although he is quite convincing when he takes up the baton. James isn't as convincing conducting what sounds like a version of Gershwin's "Summertime."

Verdict: Amiable if minor Technicolor musical with some nice tunes. **1/2. 

BLIND CORNER

Alexander Davion and Barbara Shelley

BLIND CORNER (aka Man in the Dark/1964). Director: Lance Comfort.  

Although he's been totally blind for a number of years, Paul (William Sylvester of The Unholy Four) has a successful career as a composer of popular songs and commercial jingles; he also hopes to complete a concerto. His wife, Anne (Barbara Shelley of The Gorgon), a former actress who wanted security, has grown tired of looking after Paul and leaves that to his secretary, Joan (Elizabeth Shepherd of Damian: Omen 2), who happens to be in love with him. Anne has taken up with a starving artist named Ricky (Alexander Davion of Paranoiac), who has no problems sleeping with Paul's wife, but draws the line at murder. Or does he? Anne needs money which she can get from her late husband's estate, but if Ricky won't help her ... Then Paul's manager, Mike (Mark Eden), whom Anne can't stand, tells Paul that her saw her having a romantic dinner with Ricky. 

Triangle: Shelley, Davion, Sylvester

Blind Corner is a minor but absorbing British suspense story that is well-acted by all, although it could be argued that lead Sylvester seems a little too in control when his world is falling apart; still he is good, and the picture works well even if it might come off like a television episode. There's an effective climax and a very good twist that took me by surprise. Singer Ronnie Carroll plays himself and gets to warble a couple of tunes. Neither Shelley nor Davion are photographed that flatteringly, although both are certainly attractive individuals. 

Verdict: Worthwhile British suspenser with good performances. ***. 

VERY GOOD NEW MOVIE -- MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING Part One

Tommy Cruise

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING Part One (2023). Director: Christopher McQuarrie. 

Action movies either work, keeping you on the edge of your seat, or they're as flat as a wet pancake, and this flick works every step of the way. It doesn't really matter that the "Macguffin" -- the thing that everyone's fighting for -- in this might be something called a "Cruciform Key" which has to do with Artificial Intelligence and could take over the minds of everyone on the planet. What matters is the fun ride as the forces of good and evil do their level best to keep the key out of the other side's hands -- just like in an old-time cliffhanger serial, which this kind of resembles despite the high-tech -- and that the pace is fast and the stunt work absolutely thrilling.  

Esai Morales and Hayley Atwell

In this Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) teams up with a pretty thief named Grace (Hayley Atwell) who is an on again/off again ally. Some of his old colleagues are also around for another set-to. Highlights include a vicious fight scene in an alley, a business with a train speeding through a tunnel with combatants on the roof, and a climactic sequence with a collapsing train trestle that is positively eye-popping. It is all so well-done that it's quite spectacular. It doesn't hurt that the film has a rousing score (Lorne Balfe), great cinematography (Fraser Taggart), and some effective performances, with my favorites being Esai Morales as Gabriel and Cary Elwes as Denlinger, the director of National Intelligence. 

Verdict: Trust No One -- and wait anxiously for Part Two. ***1/4.