THIS IS MY LOVE

Linda Darnell and Rick Jason

THIS IS MY LOVE (1954). Director: Stuart Heisler.

Vida Dove (Linda Darnell) lives with her sister, Evelyn (Fatih Domergue) and brother-in-law, Murray (Dan Duryea), and their two small and adorable children.  Vida was originally Murray's girlfriend, but he married Evelyn instead and the two formed a dance team until Murray was in a car crash. Now a bitter and often nasty paraplegic, Murray owns a coffee shop where the two sisters are waitresses. Vida has been engaged for several years to a likable lunkhead named Eddie (Hal Baylor), but one day Eddie brings a handsome friend, Glenn (Rick Jason) into the restaurant with him. Suddenly all of Vida's romantic fantasies center on Glenn, but she may have to contend with her own sister's desires just as she had once before, all leading up to one unspeakable act ... The fascinating and unfairly forgotten This Is My Love combines seriously dysfunctional families, unrequited love triangles, sibling rivalry, twisted passions, extreme loneliness and jealousy, and even cold-blooded murder into an absorbing and unpredictable 90 minutes of melodrama. The movie and the performances are on occasion more overwrought than they need to be, but given the situations and the raw emotions they engender that can certainly be forgiven. Linda Darnell gives an excellent performance, and a highlight is an absolute meltdown she has when she realizes she may again have to take a back seat to her sister. Although comparatively inexperienced next to Darnell, Rick Jason (of TV's Combat) not only looks swell but is right up there with his more famous co-star in the scenes they have together. (I confess that while |I watched this movie, I was convinced that Glenn was being played by serial star Judd Holdren, who is also in the movie, and who greatly resembles Rick Jason. Apparently Holdren has the very small role of a doctor; I blinked and missed him.)  Domergue [Young Widow] is also very effective as the not necessarily bad but clueless sister, and Dan Duryea almost walks off with the movie as the crippled man who loves his wife desperately but is also so terrified of losing her that he takes it out on everyone around him. Hal Baylor makes the most of his role as nice guy Eddie, whose only crime is that he's just not the romantic figure of Vida's dreams. William Hopper of Perry Mason fame shows up briefly as a district attorney, and the little boy is played by Jerry Mathers of Leave It to Beaver fame. Franz Waxman's score features an excellent opening theme that underscores Vida's romantic thoughts and is nicely warbled at one point by Connie Russell [Nightmare].

Verdict: While many things are left unsaid and unexplored -- let's not forget there are children involved -- and this is not exactly Clifford Odets, it is still a highly interesting and worthwhile picture. ***. 

PERRY MASON SCREEN TESTS

Burr (right) testing for part of Hamilton Berger 

PERRY MASON SCREEN TESTS.

A special 50th Anniversary DVD of the venerable Perry Mason series features several 1955 screen tests for the actors on the show, introduced by Barbara Hale. Raymond Burr actually tested for the part of Hamilton Berger -- with a different (uncredited) Perry Mason, who is not bad -- and there were other actors auditioned for Perry along with Burr. One test shows William Hopper (Paul Drake) playing Perry with a different Della Street. Then there's Ray Collins playing Lt. Tragg while Hopper again plays Perry. In another test Burr plays Perry while an unknown blond actress plays Della, coming off more like a "B girl" than a private secretary, way too sexy, and not exhibiting much acting ability. A more talented blond actress does a courtroom scene with first Burr as Perry and then Hopper. Judging from these tests, the producers made the right choices for these roles.

Verdict: Interesting "backstage" look at the making of Perry Mason. ***

PERRY MASON SEASON 7

Raymond Burr

PERRY MASON Season 7.

This seemingly unstoppable show was back for a 7th season in 1963. It had more than its share of excellent episodes. "Nebulous Nephew," with Hugh Marlowe, Arthur Space and Beulah Bondi, answers the question of whether or not a man is really a missing relative. "Reluctant Model," in which Lt. Tragg appears, deals with a forged painting and a handsome bearded artist played by Robert Brown. A woman leaves one million dollars to her nurse in "Festive Felon" and an elevator murder is featured in "Wednesday Woman" with a noteworthy Marie Windsor. A boy discovers that a famous actress is his mother in "Simple Simon" with an excellent Virginia Field and Victor Buono. In "Careless Kidnapper" with Mimsy Farmer, in which a doctor treating an alcoholic patient is blackmailed, Perry takes Della dancing until dawn! "The Drifting Drop Out "has a young man accused of murdering his criminal uncle's business partner. "The Bouncing Boomerang" features a wonderful Diana Whelan as a duplicitous wife with a secret partner in a land and insurance fraud.

Other notable episodes include: "Decadent Dean" with an excellent Lloyd Corrigan; "Bigamous Spouse;" "Bountiful Beauty" with Ryan O'Neal; "Nervous Neighbors" with Katherine Squire and Jeanne Cooper;  "Fifty Million Frenchmen" with everyone from David McCallum and Jacques Bergerac to Arthur Franz and Jackie Cooper; "Frightened Fisherman;" "Arrogant Arsonist;" Garrulous Go-Between;" "Illicit Illusion" with Ron Randell and Keith Andes; and "Antic Angel."

These were the two most outstanding episodes: "Deadly Verdict" begins with Perry's client being found guilty and sentenced to death! The story has to do with an old woman who may have been murdered by one of several heirs, including Julie Adams. This episode is particularly well-directed [Jesse Hibbs], creepy, and suspenseful." The Devious Delinquent," with Otto Kruger and an especially notable Virginia Christine, deals with a troubled young man accused of killing a blackmailing punk "friend." Robb White wrote the script, which has a great surprise ending.

Verdict: Still one of the best TV shows ever. ***1/2.

PERRY MASON SEASON 6

Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale

PERRY MASON SEASON 6.

The main change to this venerable series in its sixth season was the addition of actor Wesley Lau to the supporting cast. Lau played Lt. Andy Anderson, an assistant to Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins), who was still on the show but whose appearances became sporadic. Most of this seasons episodes were at least "B+" and quite a few were solid "A's."

For instance: An embezzler and his wife are caught up in surprising developments in "Double-Entry Mind" with Virginia Christine and an outstanding performance from Stuart Erwin. Lt. Anderson's cop cousin is implicated in a crime in "Hateful Hero," which features a superb turn by Jeannette Nolan. Liam Sullivan scores in "Inappropriate Uncle," in which a broke, irresponsible man inexplicably makes out a will but turns out to be wealthy after all. "The Stand-in Sister" is an excellent story of gangsters and switched babies with lots of good twists. In the excellent and unusual "Lurid Letter" -- there is no actual defendant in this episode, as such -- a school teacher is accused of making passes at her male students in an unsigned letter. "The Polka Dot Pony" answers the question of which girl is a woman's long-lost grand-daughter. Perry takes on the scandal sheet Spicy Bits as well as a lying client in "Velvet Claws" with Patricia Barry and Virginia Gregg. An excellent Robert Middleton plays an esteemed judge accused of murder in "Witless Witness."

Perhaps the single best episode of the season -- and one of the best in the entire series -- is "Weary Watchdog," in which John Dall plays a blackmailing art dealer. Perry reveals the killer -- which comes as an utter surprise -- in another courtroom  even as the jury in his own trial is still deliberating. This audacious episode may not stand up to close scrutiny but it certainly is a corker!

Raymond Burr became ill during the sixth season and in several episodes he was replaced by other stars playing defense lawyers of his acquaintance. These included Bette Davis ["Constant Doyle"], who faces Hamilton Burger in court and whose expression as she reveals the guilty party is priceless [she says to a hospitalized Perry on the phone: "I'll make a deal with you -- if you don't give me legal advice I won't take your temperature"]; Michael Rennie ["Libelous Locket"], a law professor who defends a woman accused of killing her blackmailer; and Walter Pidgeon ["Surplus Suitor"], who defends a woman with two beaus who is accused of murder. However, the best of these "substitute" episodes was "The Two-Faced Turn-A-Bout," in which Hugh O'Brian, a colleague of Perry's, not only has to defend a murder suspect but deal with the machinations of his own double.

Verdict: Perry's still going strong! ***1/2.

PERRY MASON SEASON 5

Raymond Burr as Mason and Karl Held as law student David Gideon

PERRY MASON Season Five. CBS TV.

The 5th season of this durable series didn't begin too auspiciously with a few unexciting episodes, but it began to hit its stride with such stories as "The Meddling Medium" [a phony psychic with Kent Smith]; "The Left-Handed Liar" [intrigue at a health spa, with Les Tremayne and Joan Banks];  "Brazen Bequest" [strange doings at a college hoping for a huge cash gift]; "The Mystified Miner" [with Josephine Hutchinson as a kidnapped writer]; and "The Lonely Eloper" with John Dall and Jack Ging, among several others. The two best episodes of the season were arguably: "Renegade Refugee" [is a businessman a renegade Nazi or an American coward? --  with a fine performance from Dick Foran and an especially good script]; and "Counterfeit Crank"--  with Jeannette Nolan, Burt Reynolds, and an excellent Otto Kruger in one of the very best performances of his career. Another great episode, "Ancient Romeo," featured the stars of This Island Earth -- Rex Reason and Jeff Morrow -- as actors in a theatrical troupe [with Donald Curtis of It Came from Beneath the Sea along for good measure].

The character of law student David Gideon (Karl Held), who had been a defendant on the previous season, became a semi-regular. One assumes CBS hoped to ensnare some younger viewers, particularly females, with Held's youth and considerable sex appeal. He first shows up in "Missing Melody," appears in several episodes for a varying length of time, and has the most to do in the aforementioned "Left-Handed Liar." Held, who was appealing and professional, also called himself Christopher Held and Carl Held in later years, when he appeared on such programs as Falcon Crest.

Verdict: Perry is just unstoppable. ***1/2.

PERRY MASON SEASON 2

PERRY MASON SEASON 2 (1958).

"It's incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial."

Perry Mason continued as a solid series for its second season [For season one click here]. One change in the opening was that Perry's secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) and his P.I. Paul Drake (William Hopper) were not seated in court at the same table with D.A. Hamilton Burger (William Talman) and Lt. Arthur Tragg (Ray Collins), which was the case in the first season opener. Despite a few merely mediocre episodes, the quality of the writing -- and acting-- remained high. Raymond Burr gave a particularly good performance in "The Spanish Cross," which also featured a superb Arthur Space and Josephine Hutchinson and emerged as one of the very best Mason episodes ever. Other excellent episodes include: "The Purple Woman" with a fine turn by Robert H. Harris [this episode has one of the most loathsome murder victims ever]; "The Shattered Dream" with Osa Massen and a huge diamond; "The Borrowed Brunette" with a terrific Paula Raymond; "The Glittering Goldfish" with Cecil Kellaway, as usual, stealing the show; "The Foot-Loose Doll" with a very young James Kirkwoood [who later became a playwright and novelist] and Robert Bray; "The Lost Last Act" with a notable Jerome Cowan and David Lewis; and "The Howling Dog" with Ann Rutherford and Gregory Walcott. With the exception of maybe five episodes, the rest of the bunch are all at least B+. Perry faced other D.A.s in out of town courtrooms in a couple of episodes, and some stories had him roaming about a bit more than usual.

Verdict: Definitely not "incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial." ***1/2.

PERRY MASON SEASON 1

PERRY MASON Season 1. CBS TV series. 1957. Based on the novels/character by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Erle Stanley Gardner's famous fictional lawyer Perry Mason had already appeared in a few theatrical films in the thirties and forties when CBS cast Raymond Burr -- who is excellent in the part -- for their new television series beginning in 1957. The terrific casting continued with Barbara Hale as Mason's efficient secretary Della Street, and William Hopper as private eye Paul Drake, not to mention William Talman as prosecutor/nemesis Hamilton Burger and Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg. [These last two appeared in most but not every episode.] Many different actors played judges in the first season, but the ones we saw the most were the wonderful Morris Ankrum and Pierre Watkin from the Superman serials. The series had possibly the best and sexiest theme music of any TV show, as well as plenty of solid scripts. Some of Mason's tricks could have gotten him disbarred. You may remember the guilty party jumping up in the witness stand -- during preliminary hearings always, not trials -- and declaring their guilt, but this hardly happens on every episode. Indeed most of the killers did eventually confess, but they didn't always do so in the courtroom. Guest stars in the first season included Kipp Hamilton, Jeanette Nolan, Marie Windsor, Alix Talton, Ann Doran, Fay Wray, Joan Weldon, Hilary Brooke, Marian Seldes, Arthur Shields, and many others well-known from various fifties and sixties movies. The episodes never dipped below a "B" in quality, and many were "A," such as The Case of the Fiery Fingers [with wonderful performances from Lenore Shanewise and Mary La Roche], Substitute Face, Lazy Lover, and many others. Possibly the best episode was The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde, with extra-special performances from Phyllis Coates and Whitney Blake. In The Case of the Terrified Typist Mason actually loses but there's a very interesting technicality ... In The Case of the Crimson Kiss Mason presents some interesting evidence to catch the real killer. UPDATE 1/19: Other especially notable episodes include Sleepwalker's Niece; Drowning Duck; Runaway Corpse: Screaming Woman; and Fugitive Nurse.

Verdict: Perry Makes It Happen! ***1/2.

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957). Director: Nathan Juran.

A rocket ship returning from Venus carrying a specimen of a native life form crash lands off Sicily and a young boy (Bart Bradley/Braverman) who finds the little creature brings it to a local professor (Frank Puglia) . Soon the little animal is growing rapidly, until it escapes its cage and has to be recaptured. Now as big as King Kong and then some, it breaks out of a lab in Rome after an accident and terrorizes the city, taking a last stand at the Coliseum. Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation of the Ymir (the name by which the creature became known, although it is never referred to as such in the film itself) is lively and fluid and the FX make the film watchable and entertaining. William Hopper is stalwart and essentially wooden as the hero, but Joan Taylor is better as the professor's grand-daughter, who is studying to be a doctor. Thomas Browne Henry plays yet another military man, giving his usual crisp delivery.

Verdict: Great fun! ***.

MYSTERY HOUSE

MYSTERY HOUSE (1938). Director: Noel Smith. 

When it is determined that a man who supposedly took his own life was actually murdered right on the verge of naming the embezzler on his board of directors, nearly every one of the people in a snowbound hunting lodge becomes a suspect. Dick Purcell stars as a detective to tries to get at the truth at the urging of the victim's daughter (Anne Nagel), and Elspeth Dudgeon is fun as the elderly wheelchair-bound aunt who has her own secrets. William Hopper, son of actress/Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, later played Paul Drake on the Perry Mason TV series. Mystery House is a short, fast-moving mystery -- based on a novel by Mignon Eberhart -- that has virtually no real style but somehow manages to hold the attention. The "Oomph" girl, Ann Sheridan, adds some energy as a nurse.

Verdict: Good for a rainy afternoon or just before bed. **1/2.