ONCE A THIEF

Alain Delon

ONCE A THIEF (1965). Director: Ralph Nelson. Colorized.  

Born in Trieste, Eddie Pedak (Alain Delon), lives with his wife, Kristine (Ann-Margret), and little girl in San Francisco. An ex-con who may have shot a detective, Inspector Vido (Van Helfin), during a robbery -- Pedak was acquitted, however -- he comes under suspicion of a new robbery and murder in Chinatown and now Vido is on the case. Meanwhile Eddie's creepy brother Walter (Jack Palance) and his even creepier associates want Eddie to join them on another job that might net a huge profit in platinum. Eddie resists until he gets fired and discovers he can't get unemployment. But this caper might not go off without a hitch.

Delon with Van Heflin

Jazzed up -- literally -- with a loud, brassy and distracting score by Lalo Schifrin, Once a Thief still can't disguise the fact that its plot is really old hat. The ex-con trying to go straight; the unpleasant family associate who wants to drag him back in; the cop who's out to get him etc. etc. It's all been done many times before and this adds nothing new to the recipe unless you want to count two "sex symbols" in Ann-Margret -- who's not very sexy in this -- and Delon. Halfway through, the movie turns into a caper flick, but the robbery itself doesn't take up that much screen time. There is some excitement during the climax when thieves turn out, and Eddie and Vido turn into unlikely allies when the former's child is kidnapped. 

Ann-Margret with Delon

Delon gives a good performance; Ann-Margret is overwrought (even considering the circumstances) but effective enough; and Heflin turns in his customary professional job. Jack Palance seems more interested in putting on a show than in creating a real character, but on that level he's fine. John Davis Chandler and Tony Musante are suitably repulsive as Walter's unsavory associates, and Jeff Corey is notable as the lieutenant who tries to keep Vido in line. 

Verdict: Despite some interesting sequences and elements, this doesn't quite work. **1/2. 

FATE IS THE HUNTER

FATE IS THE HUNTER (1964). Director: Ralph Nelson.

When a plane crashes killing all aboard except a stewardess (Suzanne Pleshette), an investigator for the airline, Sam McBane (Glenn Ford), tries to determine what went wrong. You'd think this would make for a compelling film, but most of the running time has McBane delving into the character of the pilot [and old friend] Jack Savage (Rod Taylor), whose irresponsibility is being blamed for the tragedy, with lots of flashbacks. McBane discovers that there was much more to Savage than met the eye. Nancy Kwan and Dorothy Malone are two of the many ladies in Savage's life, and Wally Cox and Mark Stevens [in a fine turn] are pals of his whom he's helped over the years. Mary Wickes has an interesting cameo as a landlady. Constance Towers is McBane's secretary, Nehemiah Persoff is his rival, and Jane Russell appears as herself in a flashback scene entertaining the troops. This culminates in a fairly ridiculous courtroom sequence, and then in a climax in which McBane and others try to recreate the circumstances of the crash up in the air. The picture is contrived and illogical, has little tension or suspense, and is more talky and dull than anything else. Ernest K. Gann, who wrote the novel upon which the film is based, reportedly disavowed the whole production. Ford gives a fine performance but is saddled with the screwiness of his character; the rest of the cast is very good, and Pleshette is excellent although she has only a few lines.

Verdict: This kind of movie should not be a snooze-fest. **.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA (TV/1957)

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA (1957). Director: Ralph Nelson.

This is the one and only musical written and composed by the great team of Rodgers and Hammerstein that had its premiere on television -- about 60 million people tuned in! Reportedly, the show was written specifically for Julie Andrews, who starred in this production. (There was another TV production eight years later starring Lesley Ann Warren, and a much later one with Brandy.) While Julie Andrews has never exactly been an actress who radiates much vulnerability, she's still quite good in this starring part and sings beautifully as well [21 at the time, she rehearsed this by day while appearing nightly on Broadway in My Fair Lady!] . Jon Cypher (pictured with Andrews) plays the prince and is fine; he's been a busy character actor ever since, appearing on numerous TV shows and even in Bert I. Gordon's production of The Food of the Gods (1976). Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney are perfection as the King and Queen (especially when they sing and argue over what to serve 1700 guests at the prince's ball) and Ilka Chase, Kaye Ballard, and Alice Ghostley certainly score as the wicked stepmother and her two daughters. Edith (Edie) Adams makes a nice fairy godmother as well. The lilting songs include "Ten Minutes Ago," "A Lovely Night," and --prime Rodgers and Hammerstein -- "Do I Love You (Because You're Beautiful)?" A funny touch has Kaye Ballard not only flirting with one of the servants in line at the climactic wedding but even with the Prince (Hope springs eternal)!

Verdict: A real pleasure. ***1/2.