THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937)

Ronald Colman meets Ronald Colman

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937). Director: John Cromwell.

Major Rudolph Rassendyll (Ronald Colman) is vacationing when people keep remarking upon his strong resemblance to Prince Rudolph (also played by Colman). The two men meet and turn out to be cousins. When the prince is given a knock-out potion on the night before his coronation, his aides importune the major to impersonate him or all will be lost. But there are two complications. Will Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll), the prince's beloved, be able to see past the deception? And what happens when the real king gets kidnapped? Colman is terrific in both roles, and there is also expert work from the lovely Carroll [My Son, My Son] ; Raymond Massey [Possessed] as his evil brother, who wants the crown for himself; C. Aubrey Smith and David Niven as the king's friends and comrades; Mary Astor as the woman who loves Massey not wisely but too well; and especially Douglas Fairbanks Jr. [Little Caesar] as the haughty, deceptively sinister Rupert. The film is capped by an exciting sword fight between Colman and Fairbanks, but it never quite becomes a classic. Remade at least once.

Verdict: Colman  and Massey are always interesting to watch. **1/2.

ADVENTURES IN PARADISE

Glib disdain: Gardner McKay

ADVENTURES IN PARADISE (1959 television series).

Adventures in Paradise, a series which lasted three seasons, cataloged the adventures of one Adam Troy (Gardner McKay), a Korean war veteran who hoped to raise money for a ranch in Texas. Somehow he wound up in Tahiti, where he is captain of the Tiki, a ship which takes on both passengers and cargo. Troy's assistants include Clay Baker (James Holden), who always calls the captain "Pappy," (and later becomes a bar owner); and Chris Parker (Guy Stockwell), who was in about a third of the episodes; among others.

Gardner McKay [The Pleasure Seekers] was perfect for the role of Adam Troy, not only for his incredible good looks, but that almost mesmerizing stare of what can only be called "glib disdain." McKay wasn't necessarily an actor of great range or emotion, but his strong and commanding presence worked in his favor. Holden compliments McKay; he had only a few credits aside from this series and did nothing else after the show was over. Stockwell [Blindfold], who was almost as handsome as McKay, amassed over 90 credits. McKay only had ten other credits besides this series, but he reinvented himself as a playwright whose work was often produced.

Bolstered by the beautiful and romantic theme music composed, I believe, by Lionel Newman, the series -- while not essential viewing -- had a certain sweep and style to it, and featured some good stories (everything from adventure to comedy to mysteries) and fine performances by a variety of well-known guest-stars. No doubt there were many viewers who dreamed of setting sail with Adam (who seemed to have a woman in every port) through the warm waters of Tahiti (although I imagine even that could get tiresome after awhile). Occasionally the soundtrack featured music cues from the scores of Bernard Herrmann, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth. I've managed to see about 67 of the 91 episodes, and of these the most memorable are:

"Safari at Sea" with Diana Lynn and John Ericson in a tale of a bickering couple who want to capture a dangerous eel. The wife is a castrating monster who wants a macho man like Adam.

"The Raft," a harrowing lifeboat drama -- after a boat hits a mine -- with an especially notable performance from Ed Anders.

"Walk Through the Night" stars Mara Corday in a memorable performance of a woman who hunts for the man she loves amidst danger and cannibals with the help of Adam Troy.

"The Black Pearl." Skulduggery over the title gem with appearances by Lon Chaney Jr and Patricia Medina.

"Man-Eater." Did a shark devour an amorous, wealthy married lady? With notable turns from Bethel Leslie and John Fielder.

"Please Believe Me." A woman (an excellent Jacqueline Scott) is accused of murdering her new but rather larcenous husband.

"Violent Journey." An especially flavorful episode with Jeff Richards and Jerome Cowan in a tale of a runaway heiress and sharks.

"Feather Clock." Pippa Scott and George Macready are fine in a story of some cleverly stolen artwork.

"Judith." Gloria Vanderbilt, of all people, proves herself a gifted actress indeed in this tale of a hurricane that also unveils terrific human passions.

"Flamin' Lady" stars Catherine Nesbitt, Harvey Korman, and Patricia Cutts in a suspense story.

"Command at Sea." Raymond Massey gives an outstanding performance in a tale of a captain who blames a younger officer for his own deadly mistake. Michael David is also memorable.

"Daughter of Illusion" offers Alan Napier and Barbara Steele in notable turns as a magician and his daughter in a scheme to use a dress to pilfer diamonds.

"Build My Gallows Low" has Adam accused of murder and on the run, but aided by the victim's daughter, Peggy Ann Garner, giving a fine performance.

Of the episodes I've seen, the two best are easily "The Good Killing," a moving story in which a young man commits murder for what he thinks is a good reason; and "Amazon," about a yacht race with a man's life at stake, with very good performances from Lizabeth Scott and Tom Drake.

Verdict: Too many mediocre episodes, but not a half-bad series. **1/2.

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA

Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward

DAVID AND BATHSHEBA (1951). Director: Henry King.

King David (Gregory Peck) of Bethlehem is married to Michal (Jayne Meadows) but spots Bathsheba (Susan Hayward) taking a shower on a rooftop across the way. As Bathsheba hoped, David spies her and asks her over, where the two reveal an immediate attraction to one another. But what to do about Uriah, the Hittite (Kieron Moore), a soldier who happens to be married to Bathsheba? It seems David will do just about anything to keep his lover from being stoned to death as an adulteress ... Gregory Peck is not bad as David, but this is an actor who has always had trouble summoning up any kind of passion, even in his scenes with Hayward; he projects strength and nobility but little else. Hayward is more effective as Bathsheba, as is Moore [Satellite in the Sky] as the unwitting Uriah. Meadows [ Enchantment] is oddly cast but okay enough as the jealous, cast-off wife. Raymond Massey [Possessed] is fine as the pious prophet, Nathan, and young Gilbert Barnett makes an impression as David's sinister son, Absolom. James Robertson Justice looks and acts as if he wandered into the movie by mistake; George Zucco makes a better impression as an Egyptian messenger from Pharaoh. The best scene in David and Bathsheba is a flashback which details the well-staged battle between a young David and the hulking Goliath. The contributions of Leon Shamroy (cinematography) and Alfred Newman (score) are also of note. Peck first refers to his lover as Bathsheba than starts calling her Bathsheba; the other characters can't seem to make up their minds as to which pronunciation is correct!

Verdict: A biblical soap opera. **1/2.

EAST OF EDEN

EAST OF EDEN (1955). Director: Elia Kazan.

"You kept on forgiving us, but you never really loved us."

"It's awful not to be loved. It's the worst thing in the world."

In  1917 Monterey, Adam Trask (Raymond Massey), with his sons Caleb (James Dean) and Aron (Richard Davalos), try to make a killing with lettuce kept fresh with ice, but they have bigger problems than hoping this new business will succeed. Aron has always planned to marry Abra (Julie Harris), but there is a growing attraction between her and Cal, who never feels he had his father's love. In the meantime Cal discovers that his supposedly dead mother, Kate (Jo Van Fleet) is actually running a brothel not too far away, something his brother is unaware of. Then there are tensions created by the advent of WW1, and Aron's initial decision to stay out of the fighting. First of all, anyone expecting a literal transcription of John Steinbeck's novelistic take on Cain and Abel must look elsewhere, because this movie only concerns a portion of a very long book, and it makes changes to the plot and characterizations. Taken on it's own terms, however, East of Eden is still a masterpiece, with a wonderful, committed cast, fine direction from Kazan, high-grade cinematography from Ted McCord, and an interesting score by Leonard Rosenman. Whatever impression Dean may have made off-screen, the camera certainly loves him, and this movie probably showcases his mystique the best of his three movies; he is excellent. Although Dean got the lion's share of the attention, Davalos is also compelling as his brother, and there is also some fine work from Van Fleet, Harris and Massey. Burl Ives and Albert Dekker have significant roles and are also good, as is Barbara Baxley as an unpleasant nurse who shows up late in the picture. Yes, there are scenes that are too stagy, dialogue that is too obvious [Dekker unnecessarily bringing up Cain and Abel, as if the audience is too stupid to get it], but the picture is totally absorbing and has a deeply moving wind-up.

Verdict: Hollywood at its best. ****.