BEYOND THE FOREST

"What a dump!" Joseph Cotten and Bette Davis

BEYOND THE FOREST (1949). Director: King Vidor. Colorized version.

"You wear that yourself. No dead cat for me -- mink!" -- Rosa to Jenny. 

Rosa Moline (Bette Davis) lives with her doctor husband, Lewis (Joseph Cotten), in the town of Loyalton, Wisconsin. Growing older, Rosa is desperate to find a more exciting life in Chicago with businessman Neil Latimer (David Brian), with whom she is having an affair. However, Rosa's plans are stymied when she runs off to Chicago and discovers that Neil has a new fiancee. But when Neil comes back to Loyalton for a birthday party for his employee Moose (Minor Watson), Rosa realizes that she still has a chance with Neil. But Moose may throw a monkey wrench into her plans ... 

"If I don't get out of this town I'll die!"

Excoriated for years -- even Davis expressed her hatred for the picture -- Beyond the Forest has come in for reassessment and garnered new fans over the years. What the movie has going for it is Davis' vivid performance, solid supporting performances from most of the cast, fast-paced and dramatic direction from King Vidor, an evocative score by Max Steiner that makes adroit use of the song "Chicago" but also has its own compelling themes, and fine cinematography from Robert Burks. While Rosa is not exactly an admirable woman -- she is rather a pathetic figure, in fact -- Davis gets across her utter desperation, especially in a sequence when she stands by her bedroom window with the fiery smelters in the background. "If I don't get out of this town I'll die. If I don't get out of this town I hope I die."

I'm not just any woman -- I'm Rosa Moline!

Ann Doran as a woman with many children has an interesting exchange with Rosa in the post office. Doran expresses sympathy for Rosa, possibly because she herself feels a bit trapped by the small-town life she lives with half a dozen offspring to look after. "This town has been tough on Rosa," she says, to which a neighbor replies, "Rosa's been tough on the town." Vidor peppers the film with other interesting vignettes as the movie unfolds, a murder occurs, along with a decidedly unwanted pregnancy. Rosa's husband is a perfectly nice man, but he can't give Rosa what she needs and is terrible unexciting. You sense if he slapped her around she would respect him more (or kill him). 

Davis with David Brian

Dona Drake (of Kansas City Confidential)   certainly makes an impression as Jenny, the slovenly, funny maid who works for the Molines and exchanges comical barbs with Rosa, reminding her that if she fires her she, Rosa, will have to do the work. Drake also figures in the bravura climax to the picture, when a fever-wracked Rosa makes up her mind to get to the train to Chicago come Hell or high water. There's an operatic intensity to this sequence as Rosa determinedly if on unsteady legs makes her way to the train station where she meets her ultimate fate. 

Verdict: Think what you will of this, Davis saunters through this saucy film noir, a variation of Madame Bovary, with aplomb. ***. 

THE SEX SYMBOL

Connie Stevens phones her shrink

THE SEX SYMBOL (1974 telefilm). ABC Movie of the Week. Director: David Lowell Rich. NOTE: This is the expanded European version with nudity. 

Movie star Kelly Williams (Connie Stevens) has just been let go from her latest picture -- gossip maven Agatha Murphy (Shelley Winters) cackles on TV that she is through in Hollywood -- and reviews her life, marriages, and love affairs with an unseen psychiatrist. Kelly has a dalliance with Senator O'Neal (Don Murray), and marries former football star Butch Wischnewski (William Smith) and artist Calvin Bernard (James Olson). Will her pills and alcohol lifestyle eventually be Williams' undoing?

Stevens

Connie Stevens, best-known as the petulant, cloying "Cricket Blake" in Hawaiian Eye, was clearly trying to change her squeaky-clean image with this TV movie, and even bares her breasts in a couple of scenes that were added to the theatrical European version. (It's a bet ABC didn't show these!) The Sex Symbol is obviously based on the life of Marilyn Monroe -- the men in Williams' life are stand-ins for JFK, Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller -- but Stevens' has none of that special quality that so distinguished "the adorable one." One can't imagine "Kelley Williams" ever having the kind of career or impact that Monroe had. In fact there are times that Stevens comes off as if Philip, the social director at the Hawaiian Village Hotel on Hawaiian Eye, decided to put on the Marilyn Monroe Story for the hotel's theater and put Cricket in the part! 

James Olson

Stevens gives it the ol' college try and is not terrible, just not that impressive. Shelley Winters seems to be having fun as the gossip maven but does little to make the woman more than a complete caricature. James Olson comes off the best and gives a more than solid performance, and the scenes between him and "Kelly" are psychologically astute. Smith and Murray are fine, but it's weird to see Murray, as he co-starred with the real Monroe in one of her best films, Bus Stop. A notable performance is given by, of all people, director-producer William Castle, who proves quite adept as an actor, playing a sleazy producer. Nehemiah Persoff is another sleazy character, and Milton Selzer and Jack Carter are Kelly's agents. Madlyn Rhue plays Kelly's friend and companion.  

Stevens with William Castle

The Sex Symbol has its entertaining moments, but the scenes of Kelly's long, boozy meltdowns eventually become boring. Although Marilyn Monroe's life story played out in the fifties and sixties, The Sex Symbol seems strictly of the seventies when it was made. Stevens followed this up with a raunchy film called Scorchy, then did numerous TV guest-spots and more made-for-TV movies. Although the real Monroe only joked about putting her breasts in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Kelly Williams actually does it.

Verdict: Stick with the real thing. **1/4.

IN THE NAVY

Bud Abbott, Dick Foran, Lou Costello

IN THE NAVY (1941). Director: Arthur Lubin. Colorized version. 

Russ Raymond (Dick Powell), singing star, wants to get away from his adoring fans and become anonymous in the Navy. Reporter Dorothy Roberts (Claire Dodd of Babbitt) is determined to get a photo of him for her magazine, somehow thinking this will be a big story. (Even Elvis getting a haircut for the Army wasn't that big a story!) Russ in his new identity encounters the film's true stars, Abbott and Costello, as sailors Smoky and Pomeroy. Chubby Pomeroy thinks of Patti of the Andrews Sisters as his girlfriend, but she may not be so inclined. Everyone sings! 

The Andrews Sisters

In the Navy is an amiable if minor A&C comedy with some amusing moments and pleasant tunes that are not that memorable all told. Bud and Lou do their usual schtick and do it well. Dick Foran is fine as their slightly grouchy superior officer and Powell does his best as straight man for the boys. Claire Dodd is professional but comparatively bland as the persistent reporter. Patti Andrews displays personality to spare, and she and her two sisters sing up a harmonizing storm. The highlight of the movie is actually some splendid tap-dancing from the Condos Brothers duo. Foran and the Andrews trio also appeared together in Private Buckeroo, where Foran gets to do a lot more singing. The Andrews Sisters did a pilot for a TV sitcom in 1951 but no network picked it up. 

Verdict: The boys have done better but this has its moments. **1/2. 

THE BLACK ABBOTT (1963)

The Black Abbott on the prowl

THE BLACK ABBOTT (aka Der schwarze Abt/1963). Director: Franz Josef Gottlieb. 

Lord Harry Chelford (Dieter Borsche of Dead Eyes of London) lives on his estate -- which is reputed to be haunted by a Black-robed Abbott -- and is engaged to Leslie (Grit Boettcher), although she clearly prefers her fiance's cousin, Dick Alford (Joachim Fuchsberger). Leslie's brother, Arthur (Harry Wustenhagen), has a great deal of debts, and is taken advantage of by his employee, Fabian Gilder (Werner Peters) -- Arthur either talks his sister into marrying Gilder, or he will send Arthur to prison. In the meantime, Gilder, Mary (Eva Ingeborg Scholz) who wants Lord Chelford for herself, and others -- including the berobed abbott -- are searching the grounds of the Chelford estate for a rumored treasure of gold. Someone has already been stabbed to death -- who will be next?

Kinski with Fuchsberger

The Black Abbott is based on an old novel by Edgar Wallace which is convoluted and dull and which I never did manage to finish. This film version -- there have been several -- is almost too faithful to the story and is also convoluted and dull. Frankly, although I generally love West German krimi (crime) movies based on Edgar Wallace novels, if this had been the first one I watched I probably wouldn't have sat through the others. Fuchsberger and Peters are familiar players -- Klaus Kinski (of Web of the Spider) is also in this, playing a sinister butler with a criminal history -- and we are also plagued by the presence of the awful Eddi Arent in his usual role of police bumpkin and alleged comedy relief.  

Mismatch: Werner Peters with Grit Boettcher

The Black Abbott has some atmosphere but not much suspense despite so many different characters running around to little effect. More than one of them dress up as the Black Abbott on different occasions, although there usually isn't much sense to it. There was a British film version of the novel in the thirties, and other krimi movies were based on it afterwards (such as The College-Girl Murders in 1967), although these took a lot of liberties. If you're looking for a horror film with a sinister monk beheading people, this isn't it. What you will get instead is a tedious mystery film that fades from memory even as you're watching it. 

Verdict: Could have killed the West German Edgar Wallace sub-genre practically at the starting gate. *. 

HOLLYWOOD HIGH: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of TEEN MOVIES

HOLLYWOOD HIGH: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of TEEN MOVIES. Bruce Handy. Avid Reader Press/Simon and Schuster; 2025.  

Be forewarned if you're looking for a book that critiques dozens and dozens of movies about teens that came out in the fifties and sixties, this is not that book. What it is is an amusing and informative look at Hollywood's attitudes towards teenagers -- and vice versa -- from decades ago until recent days. He has a section on Andy Hardy but doesn't really analyze the various entries in that series, then quickly moves on to an in-depth analysis of Rebel Without a Cause, the Beach Party movies, and then mostly focuses on other select films such as American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Boyz in the Hood and more. With the exception of Graffiti, which I never especially cared for, I haven't seen or wanted to see most of the movies Handy covers. He has a whole loooong chapter on John Hughes, a filmmaker I have never had the slightest interest in. But here's the rub: Handy is such a good and entertaining writer, that he kept me turning the pages as much as if he were writing about subjects more to my liking -- he's that good. No, Handy hasn't convinced me to rush out and pick up a slew of Hughes' movies, but he does a good job of informing the reader about his subject while keeping us engaged and amused. 

Verdict: The great teen movie book has yet to be written, but this highly interesting tome is worth perusing until it is. ***. 

JEZEBEL

Bette Davis in Jezebel

JEZEBEL (1938). Director: William Wyler. Colorized version. 

In pre-Civil War Louisiana, Julie Marsden (Bette Davis) is a spoiled, headstrong gal  who lives on a rambling estate with her Aunt Belle (Fay Bainter of State Fair). Her engagement to banker Preston Dillard (Henry Fonda of Lillian Russell) has already been called off more than once, but Julie is convinced that Pres will always come back to her. This notion is tested when she blatantly wears a red dress to a ball when unmarried ladies are supposed to wear white. Heading north, Preston eventually comes back South -- with a new wife, Amy (Margaret Lindsay of Emergency Hospital). Getting Pres away from Amy presents a challenge to Julie, but the fact that yellow fever (aka Yellowjack) has broken out and is ravaging the area might be even more than she can deal with ... 

Davis, Bainter, Fonda, Lindsay

Warner Brothers wouldn't let Davis play Scarlet O'Hara so they gave her another fiery Southern belle to play in Jezebel. (Jezebel was released first due to the long shooting schedule for Gone With the Wind). Whether Julie is a strong-willed woman who knows her own mind and to hell with the consequences or a pathetic creature who is hopelessly tied to one man is debatable. The soap opera of the story is bolstered by the horrific events of the plague. Whether helming romantic scenes, emotional conflagrations, or sequences detailing the horrors of Yellowjack, William Wyler is at the top of his game, and his star isn't far behind. Fay Bainter is also excellent, and Fonda is better than usual. George Brent does the best he can to keep up and is adequate, as is Margaret Lindsay, deliberately cast to seem a pale weak wren next to the fiery Davis. 

Fonda with Davis

A problematic aspect of the picture, as it is with GWTW, is the patronizing attitude towards the black characters. They are not merely servants, but slaves, but they sing and dance and smile and make merry as if this were perfectly okay with them. Each one gives an notable performance, including Theresa Harris as Zette and Eddie Anderson as Gros Bat. There's a moving scene, be it intended or not, when Fonda asks butler Uncle Cato (Lew Payton) to have a drink with him, but Cato fears it is "hardly proper" and takes his drink with him to the pantry. (We must remember that Fonda swears he is not an abolitionist.) During the plague sequences, when carts are shown taking sick and dying people to an island leper colony, the camera catches both black and white victims, as if to say, the world may discriminate, but yellow fever doesn't. There is a terrific scene in a bar when Fonda falls ill and everyone in the place pulls back in fear and horror in a sudden backwards sweep.

Davis

Whatever its flaws or dated aspects -- although they are "nice" to their slaves, the white characters are essentially racists -- Jezebel is still a memorable picture that takes place in a very different time period. In addition to the fine direction and some splendid performances, there is a notable score by the great Max Steiner and topnotch cinematography by Ernest Haller. The color adds a new dimension to the film although the infamous red dress is more black than red. 

Verdict: A resplendent Davis in a rich romantic drama. ***1/4. 

PRIZZI'S HONOR

Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner

PRIZZI'S HONOR (1985). Director: John Huston. 

Hitman Charlie Partanna (Jack Nicholson), who used to be engaged to the disgraced Maerose Prizzi (Anjelica Huston of Crimes and Misdemeanors), meets and becomes instantly smitten with Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner) at a wedding. The two fall in love and get married, even after Charlie finds out Irene has a husband whom Charlie murders. Irene is hiding a deadly secret, and it isn't long before both husband and wife are being told by different factions to off the other. Now the question is: will they actually be able to murder their own spouse, and which one of them will get it first?

Anjelica Huston and Nicholson

Prizzi's Honor is a black comedy that hasn't worn well with time, although I think it was quite over-rated, even by me, when it was first released. Nowadays there are far too many movies with rather loathsome "heroes" or anti-heroes that we're supposed to care about, even though in real life most of us would do our best to avoid them. The innocent victims in the movie are shunted aside as if they had no importance, which they don't in the world of the Prizzi's and their associates. If this film, based on Richard Condon's novel, is meant to be an indictment of these sleazy people, it doesn't come off that way -- it just doesn't have that much on its mind.

Stealing the movie: Lee Richardson

Nicholson and Turner are okay in the leads playing impossible parts. Although Huston won a supporting Oscar, which she didn't really deserve, she's not that memorable. (I thought she was terrific on Smash, however.) The supporting cast of more experienced actors is much better, with Lee Richardson [The Fly II] taking top honors and John Randolph [Seconds] a close second. The best I can say about William Hickey as Huston's vengeance-filled grandfather is that he's quite odd, and I liked him better in his appearances as the crazy and annoying old man on episodes of Wings. 

Verdict: One of those movies that makes you wonder what you ever saw in it. Still, it is entertaining. **3/4.

FOUR GIRLS IN TOWN

Grant Williams and George Nader

FOUR GIRLS IN TOWN (1957). Written and directed by Jack Sher.  

A Hollywood studio wants to make a biblical epic about Esther, but their biggest star (whose face we never see) wants 50% of the profits. Therefore it is decided to find a new star and bring in four gals to do a screen test: American Kathy (Julie Adams), whose mother (Mabel Albertson) is pushing her to perform; Viennese Ina (Marianne Koch of The Monster of London City), whose husband recently died in a road accident; Italian Maria (Elsa Martinelli of One on Top of the Other), who appears to be a good-time girl who loves the men, especially the ones with money; and French Vicki (Gia Scala of The Big Boodle), who is trying to hide the fact that she has a husband and small son. 

John Gavin comes on to one of the "girls" 

Mike Snowden (George Nader) will helm the young ladies' screen tests, even though he'd much rather direct the picture itself. His best friend, Johnny (Sydney Chaplin) is a film composer nursing a broken heart and many hangovers. Mike is also friends with wealthy playboy Spencer Farrington Jr. (Grant Williams), who pursues women and does little else but attend parties with that end in mind. Tom Grant (John Gavin) is an actor who is chosen to appear in the tests with each of the ladies. Naturally these four men get involved in varying degrees with the "four girls in town." 

Nader with Gavin

I wish I could report that Four Girls in Town is a trenchant drama about Hollywood or at the very least a real trash wallow, but it's neither, although I can't say I ever found it boring. The acting is generally more than professional -- although none of the cast members really stand out -- and the picture has a good pace, but it just never quite comes alive. Maybe it just needed a few sensationalistic scenes to perk up the viewers' interest. An odd sequence has Mike taking some of the ladies and gents on a nighttime grunion hunt, a sequence that was a little more entertaining in Piranha 2: the Spawning, of all things. Jack Sher also directed The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. 

Verdict: At least it has a very attractive cast! **3/4. 

THE FILMS OF DORIS DAY

THE FILMS OF DORIS DAY. Christopher Young. Citadel Press; 1977. 

This was one of the picture-packed oversized volumes of Citadel Press' "Films of" series. Young has a biographical section up front, then a section on each of Day's movies, with excerpts from contemporary reviews and notes by the author on select films. There are also several photo galleries, and each movie has a crop of photos as well. Young makes the point that Day was often under-rated, both as a light musical comedy star and then later as a dramatic actress. Day gave notable performances in Julie, Midnight Lace, Love Me or Leave Me, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and others, and she was extremely adept in comedies, such as the ones she did with Rock Hudson. Still, poor Doris had her haters, including Mad magazine, which made merciless fun of her at every opportunity back in the day. 

Verdict: Enjoyable, heavily illustrated romp through Doris-Land. ***. 

THE PAJAMA GAME

John Raitt and Doris Day

THE PAJAMA GAME (1957). Directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen. 

Sid Sorokin (John  Raitt) gets a job in management at a pajama factory and almost immediately comes into romantic conflict with worker and union member Babe Williams (Doris Day). Although the two are clearly attracted to one another, Babe is sure that there will eventually be problems over their taking opposite sides in a struggle over a raise of seven and a half cents. Meanwhile Gladys (Carol Haney), who keeps the books, is exasperated by her boyfriend Vernon's (Eddie Foy Jr. of The Case of the Black Parrot) almost pathological jealousy. When the workers decide to have a slow-down on the job, things come to a head.  

Picture This: Foy and Shaw trip the Light Fantastic

The Pajama Game is based on the Broadway show with songs by Adler and Ross and choreography by Bob Fosse, which is transplanted to the screen along with much of the cast, such as Raitt. Doris Day replaced Janis Paige, but she is quite good, and handsome Raitt is so good -- and has such an outstanding voice -- that it's a wonder he didn't have more film assignments. Haney and Foy are also excellent, as is Reta Shaw, who does a delightful light-on-her-feet number with Foy ("Picture This"). Other musical highlights include Raitt singing the show's most memorable number, "Hey There;" the big production number at the picnic ("Once a Year Day"); and the smoky, insinuating "Hernando's Hideaway." Another well-known number from the show is "Steam Heat," which I confess I've never much cared for. 

John Raitt 

Thelma Pelish makes an impression as Mae, the economy-sized factory worker and wit who certainly stands out in (very) widescreen. Barbara Nichols [Woman Obsessed] as dumb Poopsie is her typical whiny self and even attempts to sing at times. The worst performance is from Ralph Dunn (of The Golden Eye) as boss Myron Hasler, who instead of  being amusing is merely loud and obnoxious, ruining virtually every scene that he's in. It also has to be noted that the secondary love story between Gladys and Vernon has its tiresome moments, especially the nonsense with the latter throwing knives at everyone in the office. Otherwise, Pajama Game is a likable, entertaining, if relatively slight musical comedy with several good scenes and songs. 

Verdict: Fun and tuneful musical with a spirited Day and a rather sexy Raitt. ***. 

DO YOU KNOW THIS MOVIE?

While I finish up a new book GREAT OLD MOVIES will come out on an irregular schedule.

In the meantime, does anyone know the title of the following film. Here is the description I got from a correspondent:

"The story involves a man in jail who is due to be hanged the following morning. The prison governor offers him one last request and he asks for a woman to spend his last night with him in his cell. The prison governor is unhappy about this request but he is obliged to fulfil it. That evening the police happen to pick up a prostitute(?) who has just tried to commit suicide by drowning. The police offer her an amnesty if she will agree to spend the night in the cell of the condemned man. She agrees to this proposal, and the man and woman spend the night in the cell talking with each other.

They discover they both have very sad backgrounds and despite having a tempestuous conversation they fall in love, and the following morning they get married just before the man goes off to be hanged."

The film was made in the US, and I think it was released in the late 1950s or the early 1960s. It is in black and white. None of the actors are household names. I tentatively think the leading man is played by an actor called John somebody."

Sounds interesting, no? Contact me at the blog's email if you happen to know the name of the movie. Thanks! 

WHERE THE SPIES ARE

Francoise Dorleac and David Niven

WHERE THE SPIES ARE (1965). Director: Val Guest. 

Dr. Jason Love (David Niven of Please Don't Eat the Daisies) is a quiet British doctor whose chief love is his snazzy automobile, and who is promised an even snazzier car, a LeBaron, if he agrees to undertake a little assignment for the government as embodied by MacGillivray (John Le Mesurier). Although certainly there are agents who could impersonate a doctor, Love is enlisted to go to Beirut, Lebanon, to look into the disappearance of a certain spy. First he stops off in Rome to make contact with another agent, the beautiful Vikki (Francoise Dorleac), who is also a highly-paid model. Love doesn't think there will be much to this assignment, and wants to put it off to make love to Vikki, but the plane he was supposed to take to Beirut explodes right after take-off. While Love doesn't think this has much to do with him, on that he would be wrong. Assisted by another agent named Parkington (Nigel Davenport of No Blade of Grass), Love uncovers a plot to assassinate Prince Zahlouf. 

Niven and Nigel Davenport

Everything in Spies must be taken with a grain of salt. One assumes Love has been drafted for the assignment because he is a real doctor who will be above suspicion, but apparently all of the agents have other professions. Not only that, but the opposition seems clued in to who he is before he even leaves the country, planting a bomb on an airliner he is to take. Love is able to beat up Parkington in their first encounter with relative ease, and although his last espionage assignment was during WW2 proves more capable than the professionals. 

Niven with Paul Stassino

Despite this, Spies is relatively absorbing and moves swiftly enough as Jason Love finds himself getting deeper and deeper into trouble. He is pursued by both Lebanon police and Russian agents, and winds up on a Soviet "Peace" plane where he is threatened with extinction when he is placed in a special chamber during the flight in which the air is slowly sucked out. (Another good scene has Love dangling from a helicopter as one of the rungs of the ladder starts to shred!) One of his allies turns out to be a double-agent, and there are a couple of interesting villains in the persons of Simmias (Paul Stassino) and his portly boss, Stanilaus (Ronald Radd). The humor of the film is a bit at odds with such grim stuff as the destruction of an airliner and all aboard. (A disturbing, tossed-off sequence has the Russian who engineered this disaster requesting asylum from American authorities!) 

Niven and John Le Mesurier

Niven is okay as the not-so-bumbling "amateur" spy, and there is good work from the other named cast members as well as Eric Pohlmann as the amiable Farouk, who runs a garage; and Noel Harrison as Le Musurier's good right hand in the London office. Dorleac, the sister of Catherine Deneuve, died in an automobile accident two years later. This was based on the novel "Passport to Oblivion" by James Leasor, who wrote nine novels starring the character of Jason Love. This is the only one that was ever filmed. Mario Nascimbene's score is all over the lot. 

Verdict: David Niven was no James Bond (even if he played 007 in the spoof Casino Royale. **3/4. 

JUST BEFORE NIGHTFALL

Anna Douking

JUST BEFORE NIGHTFALL (aka Juste avant la nuit/1971). Director: Claude Chabrol. 

At the very opening of Just Before Nightfall we see that rather unemotional Charles Masson (Michel Bouquet) has strangled his lover, Laura (Anna Douking). Immediately afterward he runs into Laura's husband -- and his best friend -- Francois Tellier (Francois Perier), but acts as if nothing has happened. Charles has a wife, Helene (Stephane Audran), and two lovely children. Although Charles initially seems unaffected by his actions -- and there is a question of whether or not the death was deliberate or "accidental" -- it clearly begins to nag at him. Meanwhile Francois decides not to tell the police that his friend was seen at Laura's special apartment because he believes Charles is above suspicion. But Charles can't bear to keep silent about what he's done. But how will Helene react when she learns the truth? And Francois? Charles may be surprised by their attitude.

Stephane Audran and Michel Bouquet

I have always had mixed emotions about Claude Chabrol, whose movies seem hit or miss. I have never seen him as being great enough to be called a "French Hitchcock." Still, now and then he comes out with a memorable picture, and Just Before Nightfall falls into that category. The film is an absorbing, well-acted mood piece, shot through with an air of fatalism. Are Charles and Helene a sophisticated, continental couple above the usual marital conventions? Is Helene a romantic, delusional fool? Or is Charles merely a pig and Helene his dupe? The picture has a very satisfying ending that may answer all those questions. Chabrol's masterpiece remains Les bonnes femmes.

Verdict: One of Chabrol's better movies. ***. 

THE COLUMBUS MOVING PICTURE SHOW

 

If you happen to be in the Columbus, Ohio area in late May, drop in at the Crowne Plaza North for the Columbus Moving Picture Show. 

Lots of interesting screenings!

More details here!

THIS MAN MUST DIE

Jean Yanne and Michel Duchaussoy

THIS MAN MUST DIE (aka Que la bete meure/1969). Director: Claude Chabrol.  

When his little boy is run down in the street and killed by a driver who doesn't stop, Charles Thenier (Michel Duchaussoy), determines to find out who was behind the wheel so that he can kill him. Eventually Charles' trail leads to an actress, Helene Lanson (Caroline Cellier), who was in the car when the tragedy occurred. Charles begins a romance with Helene in order to get closer to the driver, her brother-in-law, Paul (Jean Yanne). Charles is afraid that Paul might turn out to be someone likable, which would make his job more difficult, but Paul turns out to be fairly odious, someone who is vile to both his wife and son, Philippe (Marc di Napoli). Now the question is: can Charles bring himself to commit murder?

Michel Duchaussoy

This Man Must Die is another memorable and well-acted Chabrol film, perhaps more of a character study than a thriller. For a time the second half of the film -- once Charles uncovers the identity of the driver -- is less interesting than the first half, but then some intriguing events bring the picture back into focus. It is interesting that Charles is not entirely virtuous and Paul is not a complete monster. The film has a moving conclusion, and the use of the music of Brahms on the soundtrack is a decided asset. 

Verdict: Notable Chabrol drama. ***.  

THE BRASS BOTTLE

The genie goes flying!

THE BRASS BOTTLE (1964). Director: Harry Keller.

Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall of No Down Payment) is an architect hoping to get some choice assignments from his boss, Mr. Beever (Philip Ober). He is engaged to Sylvia (Barbara Eden of The Yellow Canary), whose father Anthony (Edward Andrews) heartily disapproves of him, thinking he's a complete kook. This opinion is not revised when Harold acquires a large bottle that turns out to hold an ancient genie, Fakrash (Burl Ives), who in gratitude for being freed after thousands of years wants to do anything and everything he can for Harold. Unfortunately, Fakrash' notions are quite a bit dated and even dangerous ... Eventually Harold tries to convince everyone that Frakrash is exactly who he says it is, but it may be more difficult than he imagines. 

Burl Ives with Kamala Devi

The Brass Bottle is an absolutely delightful comedy fantasy with a wonderful performance from Burl Ives as the genie. Perhaps hoping to ground the story a bit more Randell underplays and probably isn't as amusing as he could have been, but this approach works fine. Eden is lovely, as is Kamala Devi, who plays a rather independent female genie named Tezra. Andrews, Ober, and Ann Doran as Eden's mother are all swell, as are Parley Baer as a potential client for Harold, and Richard Erdman and Kathie Browne as a couple who are Harold's unconventional buddies. At one point Fakrash reduces some authorities to tiny stature and has them desperately clinging to a pencil in a pitcher of water! Not much later Eden played a genie herself in I Dream of Jeannie. Harry Keller also directed several melodramas starring George Nader such as The Female Animal. 

Verdict: Charming, with a very satisfying conclusion! ***1/2. 

BLACK WIDOW (1954)

BLACK WIDOW (1954). Writer/director: Nunnally Johnson.

Broadway producer Peter Denver (Van Heflin), who is married to actress Iris Denver (Gene Tierney), befriends a struggling young writer named Nanny (Peggy Ann Garner) and eventually wishes he hadn't. Ginger Rogers (Dreamboat) plays his star Carlotta Marin and Reginald Gardiner is her husband, Brian. Possibly attempting to approximate the success of All About Eve, Nunnally Johnson took a story by mystery writer Patrick Quentin (actually Hugh Wheeler) with a Broadway background and concocted another story of an aging affected actress and opportunistic young'n. There the resemblance to All About Eve ends as, to be fair, Black Widow goes in its own direction, but while the first quarter is unpredictable the rest is sadly familiar. Also, Black Widow is vastly inferior to All About Eve and Ginger Rogers is pretty inadequate doing a lower-case Bette Davis. Heflin is as good as ever, but the material is far beneath him, and Gardiner, usually at his best in comedies, is comically miscast in this. Gene Tierney is also good, but she, too, is pretty much wasted. Virginia Leith, Otto Kruger and an unrecognizable Cathleen Nesbitt are excellent in supporting parts. George Raft is simply an embarrassment as a police detective, but Peggy Ann Garner scores as Nanny. The main trouble with Johnson's script is that he hasn't created characters, only trotted out an assortment of types.

Verdict: Watch out for movies in which Reginald Gardiner plays a romantic figure. **.

DRAGON COUNTRY

William Redfield and Kim Stanley

DRAGON COUNTRY (1970 telefilm). Produced and directed by Glenn Jordan. Written by Tennessee Williams.

This taped presentation presents two plays written by Tennessee Williams and which were part of his "Dragon Country" collection. "Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen" is an early minor piece, a character study of a hustler (Alan Mixon of The Edge of Night) and his girlfriend (Lois Smith), both of whom are clearly living on the edge. He has been abused while being drunk, having cashed his unemployment check, and she has fantasies of a life -- living in a hotel by herself until she becomes an old woman -- that pointedly do not include him. The acting is good, but while the two characters are intriguing enough, Williams doesn't tell us enough about them.

Lois Smith and Alan Mixon

The second, better play is "I Can't Imagine Tomorrow." Kim Stanley (of The Goddess) lives alone in a large house but she is clearly quite ill, possibly dying, unable to climb the stairs to her bedroom. She is the only friend of William Redfield (of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), a neurotic, shy and lonely schoolteacher who just stopped going to work one day and lives in a small room in a "mausoleum" of a hotel. Stanley seems to have as much contempt for Redfield as love, and she complains that if she didn't speak there would be silence. She also fears he will be utterly alone if he doesn't meet new people somewhere. Redfield is a sad figure, and Stanley taunts him about how much he would love to move in with her, a notion that she initially seems to reject. But ... Stanley and Redfield offer outstanding performances, making the most of another relatively minor play, but one that is nevertheless compelling and even touching at times, although, again, one wishes we knew even more about the principals. Both plays examine how people are so self-absorbed by their own painful realities that they have difficulty reaching out to another suffering soul. Glenn Jordan also directed One of My Wives is Missing, which is quite different from this.

Verdict: Some excellent performances make this a worthwhile watch. ***. 

PASSPORT TO PIMLICO

The wonderful Margaret Rutherford

PASSPORT TO PIMLICO (1949). Director: Henry Cornelius.

After discovering a cache of treasure hidden under the streets, the residents of the district of Pimlico in Post-WW2 London discover documents that (in a convoluted way) actually make them residents of Burgundy. Then a handsome Duke of Burgundy (Paul Dupuis) shows up and begins romancing one of the local women. At first the residents playfully refuse to follow certain British rules -- such as shutting the pubs down at a certain hour -- because, after all, they aren't Londoners but Burgundians.  Unfortunately, this excites and dismays the British parliament and before long the residents of Pimlico find themselves mired in red tape and having to cross customs just to leave or enter their own district. In true British fashion, they decide to fight back and display their English tenaciousness. Okay. This is a cute idea and it does have some amusing sequences, but it gets bogged down way before its over, and its attempt to create characters you actually care about don't quite hit the mark. Most of the cast is unknown on American shores with the exception of Hermione Baddeley, Stanley Holloway, and the wonderful Margaret Rutherford, who plays a historian with her customary panache and enlivens every scene she's in. If only there were more of them!

Verdict: One of those quaint British movies that you can either take or leave. **1/2.

DER TEPPICH DES GRAUENS

Joachim Fuchsberger and Karin Dor

DER TEPPICH DES GRAUENS (aka The Carpet of Horror/1962). Director: Harald Reinl.

John Millner (Roberto Rey) is the latest victim of a secret criminal group that use small balls full of poison gas to off their enemies. His niece, Ann Learner (Karin Dor of Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz), is appalled to learn that he was involved in shady activities and was planning to flee the country without even telling her. She is pursued romantically by handsome Harry Raffold (Joachin Fuchsberger), who is keeping secrets of his own. Other major characters include Dr. Shipley (Antonio Casas), who may have come up with an antidote to the poison; Mabel Hughes (Eleanora Rossi Drago), who owns the hotel where Harry is staying and makes a play for him; portly Vane (Jose Maria Carrafel), who wants to marry her; Crayton (Werner Peters), a member of the gang who discovers the identity of the mysterious boss and hopes to take over; and the imposing and formidable Colonel Gregory (Carl Lange) whose motives are unknown. Harry also has an assistant, a black man named Bob (Pierre Besari), who is on occasion referred to as, and treated like, a servant even though he is apparently an actual operative of some kind. Then there are Inspector Burns (Julio Infiesta) and his younger associate Inspector Webster (Marco Guglielmi), who at one point wants to arrest both Harry and Ann. 

Fuchsberger and Eleonora Rossi Drago

The English title of this West German film (co-produced with Spain), The Carpet of Horror, refers to the fact that the golf ball-size weapons that contain the poison gas are rolled onto carpeted floors in the victims' homes -- the carpet doesn't actually kill anyone. In any case, the movie -- based on a novel by Louise Weinert-Wilton (not Edgar Wallace) -- is exciting and suspenseful and a lot of fun, even if you may figure out the identity of the mastermind (who brought the sinister group over from India) behind the whole racket. The boss sends messages to the group via white letters on a screen, and their HQ is located inside a garage, with a trapdoor to a lower level inside a truck. Beneath the garage is a huge tunnel filled with debris, a striking locale indeed. There's a "catfight" in the underground at one point, which means that this very entertaining flick misses nothing! The cast is an interesting mix of both German and Spanish actors. Mercifully the film hasn't got too much comedy relief -- and no Eddi Arent -- although there is some humor attached to the Bob character. 

Verdict: For once a West German krimi that isn't based on a Edgar Wallace novel even if it seems to be! ***. 

GOOD NEW MOVIE: CONCLAVE

Lithgow, Rossellini, Fiennes, Tucci

CONCLAVE (2024). Director: Edward Berger. 

After the Pope passes away, the cardinals gather in Rome and are sequestered so as to begin voting for the new Pope -- the first man to attain the prescribed number of votes, 72, will be the new Pontiff. Front runners include Bellini (Stanley Tucci), who is a liberal who wants to affect serious change to the Church; the conservative Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto); the African Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), whom Bellini fears is even more reactionary than Tedesco; the newcomer Benitez (Carlos Diehz), whom no one was expecting; and Tremblay (John Lithgow of Obsession), who badly wants the job but is suspected of various malfeasances. On this matter Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) may have something to say. Overseeing all of this is Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes of Wrath of the Titans), the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who has no desire to be Pope due to a crisis of faith. But as one scandal after another is unveiled, Lawrence may have no choice. Or does he ...? Meanwhile there are an increasingly serious series of Muslim terrorist attacks. 

Lithgow and Fiennes

Conclave is not without flaws, but it happens to be an altogether admirable picture, with a superb cast, top of the line photography, and tense direction that practically turns the movie into a suspense thriller. That there is all sorts of intrigue going on during the conclave to elect a new pope is certainly not surprising. In fact, those who are expecting a boring picture may be delighted by all the drama and deception. As well, there isn't a performance that doesn't ring true. However, one has to wonder if one simple speech could have so profoundly affected the other cardinals that a certain person is too-easily elected, and making one character intersexual may seem just a trifle precious (but interesting nevertheless). Still, the picture is pretty much a winner all the way.

Verdict: A mostly pleasant surprise. ***1/4. 

OPERATION MAD BALL

Mickey Rooney and Jack Lemmon

OPERATION MAD BALL (1957). Director: Richard Quine.

In France at a U.S. Army hospital just after the end of WW2, Private Hogan (Jack Lemmon) wants to do something to give his pal Corporal Berryman (Roger Smith of 77 Sunset Strip) a chance to spend time with his nurse girlfriend, even though she outranks him and shouldn't be fraternizing. Somehow this segues into a "mad ball" held off the base in a restaurant where nurses and men can get together for some dancing, drinking and fun. But there are complications, such as Colonel Rousch's (Arthur O'Connell) brother heading for the base and being the guest of honor at Rousch's own party -- now the nurses won't be allowed any passes (literally and figuratively). However, the fertile mind of Private Hogan will figure a way around this.

Kathryn Grant and Arthur O'Connell

Judging from its title, Operation Mad Ball should be a riotous service comedy, but the only time it really comes to life is in the last few minutes (the party) and when Mickey Rooney shows up and shows "em how it's done. He's a breath of fresh air in a "comedy" that is surprisingly dull for most of its length. Lemmon is okay, but other players make more of an impression, including the wonderful Rooney, Dick York as Corporal Bohun, Kathryn Grant as Lt. Bixby, who ignites Hogan's romantic interest, Jeanne Manet [Slightly French] as Madame LaFour who owns the aforementioned restaurant, and especially Arthur O'Connell as the head officer of the hospital. Ernie Kovacs, one of the three leads, is also okay, but not especially funny. Other soldiers are played by James Darren, William Leslie, and L. Q. Jones. Darren and Grant appeared together in The Brothers Rico.

Verdict: Generally good-natured but distinctly minor. **1/4.