RETURN FROM THE ASHES

Ingrid Thulin and Maximilian Schell

RETURN FROM THE ASHES (1965). Director: J. Lee Thompson.

"I was revolted, curious, shocked -- even thrilled."

"A man should always marry a woman with beautiful eyes. That way there's always something to love, no matter what happens."

"I came to you for advice, not the truth."

Michelle (Ingrid Thulin), a wealthy widow who also happens to be a doctor, falls in love with a poor chess player named Stanislaus Pilgrin (Maximilian Schell) in pre-WW 2 Paris. After the Nazis occupy the city, Stan marries the Jewish Michelle more as an act of defiance than anything else, but immediately after the wedding she's taken off to a concentration camp. After four years of Hell and a fifth in a sanitarium, Michelle makes her way back to Paris. At first Stan not only doesn't recognize his own wife, but thinks she must be dead and this woman her mere lookalike. He asks her to "pretend" to be Michelle -- herself -- so that he and her step-daughter, Fabienne (Samantha Eggar), can claim her 30 million franc fortune. And things get more twisted after that ... In a pre-credit sequence set on a train taking Michelle to Paris, a mischievous little boy falls through the door, and an old man remarks to his wife that Michelle, who has absolutely no reaction to the child's death, must have an "incredible lack of feeling." Then he sees the numbers tattooed on her arm and realizes why she is emotionally dead inside ... The trouble with Return from the Ashes is that nothing else as powerful as this opening sequence ever occurs in the movie, which turns more or less into a comparatively ordinary suspense film. On the other hand, Return sets up some intriguing situations, isn't entirely predictable, and boasts excellent performances from the entire cast, including Herbert Lom as a doctor friend of Michelle's. Attractive Thulin [The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse] gives an assured and authoritative lead performance; Schell [Judgment at Nuremberg] makes a charismatic "bad boy;" and Eggar expertly limns the petulant, sexual woman-child. The film also has interesting characters and some excellent dialogue. Still one might have hoped that such a momentous occurrence as the Holocaust might have developed into something a little more explosive than a fairly standard murder mystery. Attempts to equate atheism with "evil" are a little tiresome. J. Lee Thompson also directed Happy Birthday to Me.

Verdict: Despite disappointing aspects, this is an absorbing suspense film with some fascinating elements and several fine performances. ***.

THE HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL

THE HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL (1951). Director: Robert Wise.

Hoping to have a chance at a new life in America, a woman who calls herself Karin (Valentina Cortese) has taken the identity of a deceased lady whom she befriended in a concentration camp. The real Karin has not seen her little boy, Chris (Gordon Gebert), in many years, and the false Karin winds up married to his guardian, Alan Spender (Richard Basehart), and playing mother to the child. The fourth member of the San Francisco household is the housekeeper and nanny, Margaret (Fay Baker), who seems to resent the other woman's intrusion. Taking another person's identity always has bad consequences in movies -- think No Man of Her Own -- and House on Telegraph Hill is no exception, as Karin finds herself embroiled in sinister events and terrified that someone is out to kill her -- or the boy. The best scene in the movie has Karin driving to the store when her brakes fail. Cortese [Thieves' Highway] is fine, as is William Lundigan as a major who takes an interest in Karin, but Richard Basehart [Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea] underplays way too much in key sequences, and the climactic scenes don't quite work, in part because of this. Arguably Baker gives the most vivid performance in this, even if she also seems a bit perfunctory at important moments. This is not one of Robert Wise's more memorable directorial jobs. Little Gordon Gebert gave a superb performance in Chicago Calling that same year, and is charming in this.

Verdict: Not quite satisfying suspense film. **1/2.

24 HOURS (1931)

Kay Francis and Clive Brook

24 HOURS (1931). Director: Marion Gering.

At a party Jim Towner (Clive Brook) turns to his wife, Fanny (Kay Francis), and asks her where things went wrong. Turns out both of them are seeing other people, with Fanny dallying with David (Minor Watson), and Jim fooling around with singer, Rosie Duggan (Miriam Hopkins). Rosie has thrown out her hoodlum husband, Tony (Regis Toomey), and trouble starts when he demands to be let back into her life again. One of the main characters winds up murdering another, with suspicion falling on a third. 24 Hours doesn't work as drama, mystery, or even melodrama, as it seems too long even at a mere 66 minutes. Of the cast Regis Toomey [Shopworn] comes off best, with Wade Boteler [The Green Hornet] also scoring as the doorman Pat, who is Rosie's brother. Clive Brook isn't bad, but he makes a rather dull leading man, and Francis is competent but not given very much to do as his wife. Miriam Hopkins [Lady with Red Hair] get a little more screen time as Rosie, bur her delivery of a couple of torch songs is almost ruined by her voice. Francis and Hopkins, although involved with the same man, don't have a single scene together, stripping the film of its main point of interest. Its stage origins are apparent, although one can't imagine this was ever any world-beater.

Verdict: This positively creaks. Even if you like Francis and Hopkins this is one you can miss. *1/2.

DRUMS OF THE DESERT

Ralph Byrd and George Lynn

DRUMS OF THE DESERT (1940). Director: George Waggner.

Paul Dumont (Ralph Byrd) meets up with the pretty Helene Larouche (Lorna Gray) on his way to become a parachute instructor for the French foreign legion and a romance ensues. Once he arrives in Algeria Paul discovers that one of his best friends, Captain Jean Bridaux (George Lynn), is already affianced to Helene. Adding to the complications is an Arab named Abdullah (William Castello), who wants revenge when his brother is executed for attacking Bridaux. The triangle/soldier story has been told many times both before and after this picture, and this version is no more than acceptable. The leads, especially Lynn [The Werewolf], who gives a committed performance, are adequate; Castello makes a striking Abdullah;  and Mantan Moreland adds to the proceedings, as usual, as the head of a contingent of black paratroopers. From Republic.

Verdict: Little more than a time passer but with some appealing players. **.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921)

Rudolph Valentino

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921 silent film). Director: Rex Ingram. Tinted edition.

Madariaga (Pomeroy Cannon) is a lusty and very wealthy rancher and entrepreneur in Argentina who has two daughters. One of them has three sons by a German husband, Karl (Alan Hale), while the other is a Frenchman, Marcelo (Josef Swickard), who was a deserter. Madariaga has a special fondness for his grandson, Julio (Rudolph Valentino), Marcelo's spoiled and womanizing son. After the death of his grandfather, Julio moves to Paris with the rest of his family while Karl takes his own family back to Germany. Julio embarks upon an affair with a married woman named Marguerite (Alice Terry), whose much older husband is Laurier (John St. Polis of Mr. Wong, Detective), but her feelings for her lover change when her husband goes off to war. Argentinian, Julio is determined to stay neutral while WW1 rages around him, and his father finds his country estate ravaged by Germans, including his own nephew and a crude Lt. Colonel (Wallace Beery) who tries to rape a maid. By their actions, both Marcelo and Julio eventually find redemption. Based on a best-selling 1919 novel by Vicente Blasco Ibanez, Four Horsemen is a strong and absorbing, fast-paced film beautifully directed by Ingram and with fine photography by John F. Seitz. Strong characterizations and dramatic presentation make this an excellent picture even without Carl Davis' rich and excellent modern score, but the music -- with themes by Liszt -- adds immeasurably to its impact. There are perhaps too many shots of the phantom horsemen riding across the skies, as well as shots of the fire-breathing dragon-like "beast," and the Christ figure at the end is a little much, but this also has many powerful sequences. (One that sticks in the mind is two crying children clinging to their dead mother in the rubble.) Alice Terry and the older actors are all quite good, while Valentino [Beyond the Rocks] gets across his initially superficial character without raising a sweat. This is a sweeping historical epic that is not for one minute dull. Remade in 1962. Alan Hale [Stella Dallas] was the father of Alan Hale Jr. of Gilligan's Island infamy.

Verdict: A silent masterpiece. ****.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1962)

Glenn Ford and Ingrid Thulin with backdrop of Notre Dame

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1962). Director: Vincente Minelli.

This remake of the silent film of the same title has been updated to WW Two. Argentinian Madriaga (Lee J. Cobb) is dispatched with rather quickly, and most of the story takes place in Paris, where an initially superficial Julio Desnoyers (Glenn Ford) has an affair with the married Marguerite Laurier (Ingrid Thulin of The Silence). Julio's father Marcelo (Charles Boyer) had deserted Army service years before and begs his son to fight the Nazis, unaware that Julio has already joined the resistance. This leads to the movie turning into a ersatz spy picture that has Julio going off on a suicide mission and a final confrontation with his cousin Heinrich (Karl Boehm of Sissi). Other characters include Julio's sister Chi Chi (Yvette Mimieux of Light in the Piazza) who joins the resistance much sooner; Marguerite's husband, Etinne (Paul Henreid); and Heinrich's father, Karl (Paul Lukas). It's amazing that adding all the excitement and peril of WW Two, plus technicolor and CinemaScope, has not resulted in a better movie than the original, but a far worse one. A middle-aged Glenn Ford is horribly miscast -- Minelli wanted a more appropriate Alain Delon but MGM nixed it -- and his love affair with Marguerite never for a minute seems passionate or believable. Scenes that should crackle with tension and drama are frittered away by Minelli's lacklustre direction. Not a single actor ever gets a close up, further distancing us from the characters, and Andre Previn's musical score can best be described as insipid. Milton R. Krasner's cinematography is a plus, but the sweeping vistas do little to pull us into the story. Other changes from the silent version include more wartime interaction between the two families -- one French, the other German -- and Etienne is not blinded. A bizarre sequence has Marguerite telling her husband she's leaving him for Julio the exact instant after he shows up, shattered by being tortured, after months away -- what perfect timing! Badly written and poorly made despite all the technological advances, this is a colossal bore. Of the cast, only Charles Boyer makes much of an impression. Like the silent version, this also has shots of phantom horsemen floating through the skies, and this time it seems even hokier.

Verdict: Stick with the original. ** out of 4.

KING OF BURLESQUE

Alice Faye and a bevy of chorus cuties

KING OF BURLESQUE (1936). Director: Sidney Lanfield.

Kerry Bolton (Warner Baxter of Just Before Dawn) has been very successful as a producer of burlesque entertainment, but he longs for Broadway respectability and embarks on a new career. He also decides to romance a society lady named Rosalind Cleve (Mona Barrie), who is down on her luck and already engaged to handsome singer, Stanley Drake (Charles Quigley of The Crimson Ghost). In a bizarre development Rosalind agrees to marry Kerry if the latter will back Drake financially for a career in opera as well as give him the lead in a high-brow Broadway show. Obviously this is not a recipe for marriage -- or musical -- success. In the meantime, Pat Doran (Alice Faye), who's been carrying the torch for Kerry, is heartbroken and leaves his employ. Will true love win out in the end? Since not enough is made of the strange marital triangle, we're left with some winning production numbers, especially when Bolton finally stages his big show for a comeback. You have to see the gals swinging like trapeze artists over a supper club set to believe it. Fats Waller sings "Got My Fingers Crossed;" little Gareth Joplin tap dances his little heart out; Kenny Baker does a sterling rendition of another of the catchy numbers; and a piece with the chorus boys adroitly tap dancing with Faye is also delightful. The leads are all fine, with nice work from Jack Oakie as Kerry's pal, Joe; Dixie Dunbar as secretary turned singer, Marie; and especially Gregory Ratoff [All About Eve] as a man who impersonates a wealthy Russian backer of the revue. This is a near-MGM style musical from Twentieth Century Fox. Remade as Hello, Frisco, Hello, also with Faye and Oakie, and John Payne replacing Warner Baxter.

Verdict: The story takes a back seat to the snappy numbers. ***.

GERTRUDE LAWRENCE

GERTRUDE LAWRENCE. Sheridan Morley. McGraw-Hill; 1981.

This entertaining biography, written by the son of Robert Morley, looks at the life of stage star Gertrude Lawrence, who also appeared in a few movies, such as Rembrandt and The Glass Menagerie. The book delves into her early life and career appearing in traveling revues, her friendship with Noel Coward, her marriages, her London and Broadway triumphs, and the incredible amount of debts she amassed during her lifetime, until her friends and the tax people on two continents had to take matters into their hands. She starred in the unusual musical Lady in the Dark (Ginger Rogers did the film version), Tonight at 8:30, and finally in Rodgers and Hammerstein's spectacular The King and I with co-star Yul Brynner. During the run of the show she grew ill, never received proper treatment for hepatitis, and died suddenly in the hospital at only 54. Talented Lawrence lived primarily for her work and never made the best mother, attested to by quotes from her daughter, Pamela. The book is also bolstered by interviews with others who knew and worked with her. Julie Andrews played Lawrence in the film Star!

Verdict: Morley is perhaps not always as admiring of his subject's talent as he should have been, but otherwise this is a fine look at a fascinating artist. ***1/2.

BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

Martin Benson as General Chan Lu

BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH (1967). Director: Montgomery Tully.

Commander Jonathan Shaw (Kerwin Mathews), and his old Korean War buddy, scientist Arnold Kramer (Peter Arne), discover that the Chinese have come up with a horrendously diabolical plot. Using laser drills on tank-like vehicles, they have burrowed tunnels under U. S. space centers, military bases, and large population areas, and plan on using atomic bombs to wipe out the whole country. A geologist, Tila Yung (Vivienne Ventura), helps the others discover the tunnel under the sea where the Chinese forces have made their way to America. Can they stop their plan in time? Battle Beneath the Earth somewhat reminds one of Crack in the World in that its interesting (if absurd) situation is undermined by a very low-budget, although there is one marvelous shot showing the sea pouring into the Chinese tunnel. Another highlight is a suspenseful business involving the disarming of a bomb. Mathews has little opportunity to display the derring do of, say, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, but Peter Arne offers a flavorful performance as Kramer, Ventura is very pretty, and Martin Benson [The Cosmic Monsters] steals the show as General Chan Lu, the leader of the assault. Robert Ayres [Black Widow] makes a very intense Admiral Hillebrand. This is like a TV production, and might have been enlivened by the appearance of some underground man-eating monsters, but no such luck. Montgomery Tully directed several thrillers, such as Strange Awakening; this was his last credit.

Verdict: In some ways it's like a poor man's James Bond. ** out of 4.

THE SPANISH CAPE MYSTERY

Helen Twelvetrees and Donald Cook

THE SPANISH CAPE MYSTERY (1935). Director: Lewis D. Collins.

"They're so rich and snooty that half the time they don't even talk to each other!"

Ellery Queen (Donald Cook) and his dyspeptic buddy Judge Macklin (Burton Churchill) arrive in Spanish Cape for some fishing and are instead embroiled in a mystery concerning the household of Walter Godfrey (Frank Sheridan). Some of Godfrey's relatives are gathered on his estate for a meeting to see if they can break an old aunt's will, while Godfrey just wishes they would get the hell out of his house. One by one the heirs start getting murdered, with the suspects including Godfrey; his wife (Betty Blythe of Charlie Chan and the Chinese Cat); his daughter, Stella (Helen Twelvetrees), with whom Ellery becomes involved; Stella's handsome alleged fiance, Leslie Court (Arnold Gray); and other heirs; as well as the butler, Teller (Frank Leigh) and other domestics. Sheriff Moley (Harry Stubbs) does his best to solve the case but is no match for the insouciant wit of Ellery Queen. There are so many murders that the grumpy, intense Judge says, "It's getting so the corpses are in the majority. If this keeps up, we won't have a quorum for the inquest!" The leads and supporting players are competent enough, and Katherine Morrow has a nice bit as the grief-stricken maid, Miss Pitts. A Republic production. Lewis D. CXollins also directed several serials, such as The Mysterious Mr. M  [Universal].

Verdict: Easy enough to figure this one out, but modestly entertaining. **1/2 out of 4.

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM

An "Alien" squares off with a "Predator"

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM aka AVP: Requiem and AVPR (2007). Director: The Brothers Strause (Colin/Greg).

The two ugly alien races referred to as "Aliens" and "Predators" wage war in a small 21st century Colorado town and the body count -- of both humans and aliens -- grows higher and higher. Dallas (Steven Pasquale), a "bad boy" just out of jail -- and apparently no relation to the "Dallas" of the original Alien -- and his younger brother, Ricky (Johnny Lewis); a lady soldier named Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth); and a sheriff named Eddie (John Ortiz) try to stay alive while killing off as many of the nasty creatures as they can. AVPR completely lacks the elements that made the first Alien vs. Predator film so successful and comes off more like a bad teen slasher flick with too many uninteresting characters running around to little effect. Believe it or not, there's no one in the cast who has the presence of Sigourney Weaver. Some of the actors aren't bad but this is not the kind of picture that builds careers. What has already been established as to how the Aliens reproduce is amended just so the filmmakers can include a tasteless sequence in which an Alien forces eggs down into the throat of a terrified woman about to give birth. The picture is so under-lit that at times its difficult to tell if the monster is an Alien or a Predator. AVPR is basically a big, dull, noisy mess that is far, far below the level of the other films in the franchise.

Verdict: The last -- and least -- of the Alien films. **.

"FRANKIE" AND FRIENDS

Boris Karloff as Frankenstein

"FRANKIE" AND FRIENDS.

Great Old Movies has already posted reviews of the classic Universal Frankenstein films, as well as many of the Peter Cushing verions  -- just type "Frankenstein" in the search bar above for them all to come up --  but this week we look at some later films about Frankenstein's monster. First there is a review of Mary Shelley's original novel -- a really great and faithful film adaptation has yet to be made of it -- then reviews of a later Peter Cushing/ Frankenstein entry; a flick with Robert De Niro playing the monster; Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound; and others. Mary Shelley could not possibly have known that her creation would explode into all aspects of popular culture -- indeed she might have been horrified!

FRANKENSTEIN by MARY SHELLEY

FRANKENSTEIN Mary Shelley.

First published in 1818, Mary Shelley's masterpiece has been (often badly) reinterpreted by filmmakers, other writers, comic book publishers and so on. Victor Frankenstein creates a living creature (the details are vague) and is so horrified by it and what he's done that he simply runs off, abandoning it, leaving the monster (who feels like an ordinary human abandoned by God) to fend for himself. The whole business with the monster having a defective brain was invented by the movies. The monster is shunned everywhere he goes, but learns language and mores by observing a family with a blind father. When he reveals himself at last, he is brutally attacked by the blind man's son. Furious at Victor for creating him and causing so much anguish, he lashes out, murdering his creator's loved ones. He importunes Victor to make him a mate; the scientist initially complies but can't go through with it, initiating another killing spree. (Victor is depicted as a morally weak man. He knows that his creation is responsible for the death of his little brother, William, but allows a young woman to be hanged for the offense. While people may have had trouble believing his tale of a monster, surely he could have told everyone that he had a disfigured enemy who was out to get him and his loved ones.) Modern-day readers may be put off by Shelley's epistolary approach and writing style (the book doesn't really get started until after a series of letters from a ship's captain -- who discovers Victor in the Arctic -- to his sister), but the book is nevertheless absorbing and well-done, and emerges as a fascinating study of ultimate loneliness. Film versions include the 1931 Frankenstein and such Hammer films as Horror of Frankenstein.

Verdict: A certified classic. ****.

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969). Director: Terence Fisher.

Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is up to his old tricks, blackmailing Karl (Simon Ward of The Chosen), a staffer at an asylum, and his girlfriend, Anna (Veronica Carlson of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave), who owns a boarding house, into helping him in his endeavors. The object of his experimentation is his former associate in brain transference, Dr. Brandt (George Pravda), who is now insane, and whom Karl and the Baron help escape from confinement. Seeking Brandt's knowledge, Frankenstein transplants the doctor's brain into the body of Professor Richter (Freddie Jones) -- and it gets even more complicated after that! Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed has a weak, somewhat slow final quarter, but for most of its length it's quite absorbing and entertaining. Cushing [Cash on Demand] is as wonderful as ever, and the supporting roles, including Thorley Walters, as the foppish but astute Inspector Frisch, and Maxine Audley as Brandt's confused and tormented wife, are well-cast. The scene in which Frankenstein and Karl break Brandt out of the asylum is very suspenseful; there's an excellent prologue showing why the baron must hastily exit his latest HQ; and a good sequence when Brandt -- in another man's body -- goes to see his horrified wife. There's a lot of fussing about with skulls, brains and saws!

Verdict: Fun Franky flick. ***.

FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY

The Three faces of Michael Sarrazin

FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY (1973 telefilm). Director: Jack Smight.

"Violence may be unavoidable, but clumsiness is inexcusable."

This re-imagining of the Frankenstein story certainly has an interesting cast, with James Mason stealing the picture as Dr. Polidori (an acquaintance of Mary Shelley's who was not in her novel, as well as the tragic author of The Vampyr). Leonard Whiting is Victor Frankenstein, with Michael Sarrazin [The Reincarnation of Peter Proud] as the creature. Jane Seymour [Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger] turns in sterling work as both Agatha, and Prima, sort of the Bride of Frankenstein, who falls to pieces in the film's grossest, most bravura sequence. Other notable performances come from David McCallum as Henri Clerval; Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Blair; and Ralph Richardson as Mr. Lacey. The telefilm also employs the talents of John Gielgud, Tom Baker [The Vault of Horror], Michael Wilding, and Margaret Leighton, but even an impressive cast can't disguise the fact that this in no way compares to the original story. This is more akin to Marvel Comics than to Mary Shelley, and often borders on the burlesque.

Verdict: Fun enough for non-discriminating Frankenstein fans. **1/2.

FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND

Pretty Boy: Nick Brimble as the Monster

FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND (aka Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound/1990).

In 2031 a scientist named Buchanan (John Hurt) is developing a kind of disintegration beam that has the side effect of causing severe weather conditions and holes in time. Buchanan winds up back in the days of Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia) and also encounters Percy Shelley (Michael Hutchence), his girlfriend, Mary (Bridget Fonda), Lord Byron (Jason Patric), and an intelligent if homicidal monster (Nick Brimble). The servant Justine (Catherine Corman) has been accused of murdering little William Frankenstein and Victor refuses to save her by telling the truth about the monster. The formerly callous Buchanan tries to rescue Justine and makes out with Mary (Shelley). It all winds up in a frozen future time period and not a moment too soon. Based on a novel by Brian W. Aldiss (Roger Corman was co-screenwriter as well as director) Frankenstein Unbound emerges as a mish mash of some admittedly interesting ideas, none of which jell in very compelling fashion. Hurt is completely miscast, Julia and Fonda are okay, Brimble does a good job as the monster, Catherine Corman is effective, and Patric makes an interesting Lord Byron. [Some of these real-life characters also appeared in Haunted Summer.] Carl Davis' [Ben-Hur] score is a plus -- much better than the movie deserves -- but the gore scenes are more silly than anything else.

Verdict: Stick with Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters. ** out of 4.

MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN (1994)

Robert De Niro

MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN (1994). Director: Kenneth Branagh.

Kenneth Branagh [Wallander; Sidetracked] both directed and plays Victor Frankenstein in this version of the venerable story, that -- as expected, regardless of the title -- plays as fast and loose with Mary Shelley as any other Frankenstein movie. Unlike the novel, the film shows us the man who became the basis of the monster, and in a ridiculous scene that borders on travesty, Victor tries to bring Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter of Dark Shadows) back to life! Tom Hulce plays Henry Clerval, with Aidan Quinn as Captain Walton and Ian Holm [Another Woman] as the elder Baron Frankenstein. When I first saw this I was rather appalled by Robert De Niro's performance as the monster, but he seemed a bit better this time around. The actors are all good, but none are great, and the time frame is all wrong. This has a handsome production, but Patrick Doyle's score, while good, is frequently over-dramatic.

Verdict: "Mary Shelley's" Frankenstein this isn't! **1/2.

FRANKENSTEIN (BBC)

Frankenstein -- or E.T.? 

FRANKENSTEIN (2007 BBC telefilm). Writer/director: Jed Mercurio.

Dr. Victoria Frankenstein (Helen McCrory) is engaging in transplant stem cell research but is also fascinated by the desire to create life. Learning that her little boy, William's, organs may fail, she tries to grow new ones by adding his DNA to the soup. Unfortunately, part of this glob breaks out of the lab and begins savagely killing people. Victoria bonds with the monster because it reminds her of little William, who has died, but the hideous fellow is still quite dangerous ... This version of Frankenstein may have some interesting elements but it seems more interested in bloody limb-tearing scenes than a coherent storyline. The monster looks more like E.T. than anything else. While there are some suspenseful passages at first, Frankenstein eventually becomes tedious to a fault. The more it tries to invoke the original Frankenstein -- little William's father is named Henry Clerval (James Purefoy), for instance, and the monster murders a little girl as in the Boris Karloff version -- the worse it seems. Dragging in greedy scientists and the military does absolutely no good. McCrory makes a distinctly unappealing heroine on every level.

Verdict: Not as good as Frankenstein's Daughter. *1/2 out of 4.

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN

James McAvoy as Victor Frankenstein 

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (2015). Director: Paul McGuigan.

"An exquisite show of depraved lunacy."

Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy) rescues a hunchbacked clown (Daniel Radcliffe) from the circus where he is horribly mistreated, discovers his hump is merely a fluid sac and removes it for him, christens him "Igor" after a missing friend, and importunes the grateful fellow, who also has much medical and scientific knowledge, to help him in his research into cheating death. However, a pious Scotland Yard inspector, Turpin (Andrew Scott), is determined to find out what the two are up to and stop them from their unholy mission. Victor Frankenstein hasn't much to do with Mary Shelley's novel -- no surprise there -- but it is very well-acted by all, including Jessica Brown Findlay as Lorelei, another circus performer whose life is saved by Igor (but who doesn't really fit in smoothly with the rest of the movie); Freddie Foxe as the wealthy and sinister Finnegan, who supposedly wants to help Victor; and Charles Dance [Alien 3] as Victor's highly disapproving father. Victor Frankenstein is entertaining and fairly unpredictable for most of its length, but the final quarter, with the birth of monster Prometheus (Spencer Wilding), is very busy but not as thrilling as intended because of insufficient direction and editing. The scenic design is striking, however, and there's a nice enough throbbing score by Craig Armstrong with some very pretty end title music. McAvoy [X-Men: First Class] continues the recent tradition of rather handsome Victor Frankensteins, such as Harry Treadaway of Penny Dreadful.

Verdict: Doesn't quite cross over into camp. **1/2.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

Amanda and Tom: Gertrude Lawrence and Arthur Kennedy

THE GLASS MENAGERIE (1950). Director: Irving Rapper.

Faded Southern belle Amanda Wingfield (Gertrude Lawrence) is afraid that her son, Tom (Arthur Kennedy) will turn out like his father, who left the family many years before and was never heard from again. Amanda is even more worried about her daughter, Laura (Jane Wyman), who is lame, painfully shy, and perhaps has emotional disabilities as well. Amanda importunes Tom to bring a friend and co-worker, a "gentleman caller," named Jim (Kirk Douglas) to supper so he can meet and romance Laura, but things don't quite work out the way Amanda intended. The Glass Menagerie, based on Tennessee Williams' first play, which he in turn based on events and characters from his own life, has been a bit watered-down from the play and has a Hollywood [supposedly] "happy" ending, but it's still a very strong picture. Lawrence leads the cast with her excellent portrayal of a woman who is kind and loving but also, unfortunately, quite overbearing at times. As the alternate film version of Laura, Wyman [All That Heaven Allows] is very good, as is Douglas [The Brotherhood] as the upbeat and likable Jim. Arthur Kennedy [Claudelle Inglish] plays the role in a more robust and less sensitive style than other actors, but he is also quite good as Tom. Rapper's direction helps to intelligently open up the play, and there's an interesting encounter between Tom and a woman trying to pick him up in a bar. Max Steiner turned in a lovely and more subtle score than usual, generally letting the play speak for itself.

Verdict: Quite nice indeed. ***1/2.

HATS OFF

John Payne

HATS OFF (1936). Director: Boris Petroff.

"Why don't you give yourself up to Ripley?"

Twin cities are having competing centennial exhibitions and both hire press agents to make theirs the biggest event ever. Jimmy Maxwell (John Payne) finds himself in competition with "Joe Allen," unaware that the pretty lady he's squiring around is actually Mary Jo Allen (Mae Clarke), the rival press agent. Both of them are hot to have wealthy Tex Connelly (Robert Middlemass) pay to bring impresario Caesar Rosero (Luis Alberni) to town to put on one spectacular show complete with dancing girls. Will duplicity smash this budding romance, or will true love win out in the end?.Hats Off is a release from Grand National, so there's no MGM gloss, although the production values are better than Republic's. Clarke and Payne [The Boss] are both fine, Alberni [The Mad Genius] is amusing, Skeets Gallagher makes a pleasant Buzz, Helen Lynd seems to be doing a Gracie Allen impersonation as his girlfriend, Ginger, and Franklin Pangborn [Reveille With Beverly] pretty much steals the show as Churchill, who is hired to pretend to be "Joe Allen." There are some okay songs by Oakland and Magidson, and the production number, "Little Odd Rhythm," is snappy.

Verdict: Amiable if second-rate musical. **1/2.

QUEEN OF ICE, QUEEN OF SHADOWS: THE UNSUSPECTED LIFE OF SONJA HENIE

QUEEN OF ICE, QUEEN OF SHADOWS. The Unsuspected Life of SONJA HENIE. Raymond Strait and Leif Henie. Stein and Day; 1985.

You wouldn't think that a book on the milk-wholesome, Norwegian skating actress Sonja Henie would be so interesting, but the authors have done a thorough job of digging into the often contradictory life of Ms. Henie. Sonja became famous as a skating champion at the Olympics, then made up her mind that she would become an actress, a star, even though her talent for being a thespian didn't match her skill on the ice. This book covers her early days, her career triumphs as a skater, including various competitions and ice shows that she put on across the U.S. and the world. Sonja could be as generous as she was petty at times, and her chief problem seems to be that she was adored too much at too early an age, making her so self-absorbed as to appear monstrous at times. Much of the information in the book comes from her estranged brother, so it must be taken with a grain of salt. It is likely that Sonja was no different from a lot of other egocentric movie stars surrounded by admiring -- and grasping -- sycophants. Sonja was friendly with an admiring Adolph Hitler in pre-WW2 days, but there is no indication that she was close to him or supported his horrendous policies, although apparently she never made any public statements denouncing him, either. To Henie, her career was everything and nothing much else ever mattered. While Henie was not without appeal, her lack of acting skills were on display in such films as Thin Ice and It's a Pleasure. NOTE: A more recent edition of this book is also available.

Verdict: Fascinating look at a self-absorbed skater and unlikely movie star. ***1/2.

BLACKBALLED BY THE CMBA?

I'm now a member of LAMB, the Large Association of Movie Blogs, but there was a peculiar reaction a few months ago when I tried to join the CMBA -- the Classic Movie Blog Association. This is run by a woman I never heard of, one Marsha Collock -- apparently she contributed an article to a 99 cent kindle book related to the CMBA -- who told me that the other members would be voting on my suitability, and my inclusion would depend upon their votes. Now exactly when did this vote take place? Get this -- over 4th of July  weekend! Yeah, instead of having barbecues or going to the beach, all of the CMBA members stayed at their computers to take a look at my blog. According to this gal, I didn't make the cut, the opinion being that I didn't cover enough old movies! [Generally out of seven movies per week, I run one review of a new or more recent (less than 25-years-old) picture.] Has anybody ever heard of, like, archives? But who could expect the members of the group to bother going through the archives on a holiday weekend (do people go through archives anyway, when instant immediacy seems to be the order of the day on the Internet?) Collock says that no one is ever blackballed, but it sure as hell seems that way to me! It is also true that this was just after I'd posted reviews of several LGBT movies for Gay Pride week ... Are Collock and her colleagues arch-conservatives? Who knows?

I looked over some of the other blogs in the CMBA and I seem to be one of the very few actual professional authors in the bunch. Let me make it clear that there are some beautifully written movie blogs out there that may not be the work of professional writers, but this still seems odd to me. Because I write about movies professionally does this make me less of a classic movie enthusiast?

There doesn't seem to be that much value to joining this group in any case.

77 SUNSET STRIP

The cast of 77 Sunset Strip

77 SUNSET STRIP (1958 - 1964).

This hour-long black and white private eye series lasted for six seasons and was one of the most successful and influential of its type on television. The main stars were Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Stuart Bailey and Roger Smith as Jeff Spencer. Edd Byrnes ["Final Escape"on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour] as Gerald Kookson III or "Kookie," originally parked cars for the real-life Dino's Lodge next door -- the club was owned by Dean Martin who never appeared on the show -- did odd jobs for the detectives, and later became an employee with Bailey and Spencer. When Bourbon Street Beat was canceled Richard Long and the character he played were both moved over to Sunset. Louis Quinn played Roscoe, a horse player who made money also doing odd jobs for the agency; Jacqueline Beer was their secretary, Suzanne; and Robert Logan [Claudelle Inglish] took Kookie's old parking job, hung around the office, and got involved in a case or two. In the last episodes of the final season Stuart Bailey was the only private eye in sight, the others (as well as "Bailey and Spencer," Kooky, the agency's offices, the logo and theme,  and everything and everyone else) were all gone, possibly in a cost-cutting move.

While not every episode was a winner, the show, produced by former actor William Orr [The Hardys Ride High], managed to maintain a high-standard of entertainment value. Some of the most memorable episodes include "The Duncan Shrine," in which the statue of a dead western star is stolen from a cemetery; "Pattern for a Bomb," in which the gang try to stop a clever bomber-extortionist (with Joan Marshall); "The Gemologist Caper," in which a half million in gems disappears from a gallery; "Tarnished Idol," in which Suzanne goes undercover to investigate a paralyzed tennis player (Van Williams; Edgar Barrier); "Never to Have Loved," in which an actress tries to break with her Svengali-like husband/director; "By His Own Verdict," with Joseph Cotten as a lawyer whose acquitted client admits he's guilty; and one of the very best, "White Lie," in which a land claim dispute centers around a mulatto woman who has been passing for white, and who is understandably reluctant to answer tough questions in court (Gene Evans; Elizabeth Montgomery). The show featured many well-known guest-stars, such as Bert Convy, Paula Raymond, Diane McBain, George Petrie, Pat Crowley, Robert Clarke, Joan Taylor, Robert Vaughn, Jay Novello, Gena Rowlands, and many, many others. Orr also produced Surfside 6, which lasted two seasons.

Verdict: Snappy detective show with a finger-snappin' theme and appealing players. *** out of 4.

STAR WARS PART VII -- THE FORCE AWAKENS

Mark Hamill as the aged Luke Skywalker

STAR WARS PART VII -- THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015). Director: J. J. Abrams.

Scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley), former storm trooper Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) team up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and the ridiculous Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to find the long-missing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and to destroy an installation that sends out planet-ravaging death-beams. The main antagonists in this are the First Order, who, naturally, want to take over the universe. Our heroes, under the command of General (formerly Princess) Leia (Carrie Fisher of The Women) also have to contend with one Kylo Ren (Adam Driver of This is Where I Leave You), who happens to be the corrupted son of Solo and Leia. I confess I've never been that carried away with the Star Wars movies, but this one (which sometimes seems like a retread of the original film) is colorful, has some good acting -- Daisy Ridley makes an especially good impression -- striking scenic design, and excellent FX. The man-eating, tentacled Rathtars are interesting creatures, and one of the best scenes is a suspenseful confrontation between Solo and Kylo Ren. It's been forty years since the original Star Wars and it's ironic that of the three leads, the oldest, Harrison Ford, looks the best, looking younger than his years, with Fisher and Hamill not having aged well at all and looking much older. J. J. Abrams also directed the Star Trek reboots.

Verdict: Frankly, despite all the money spent on it this is not nearly as much fun as certain of those classic cliffhanger sci-fi serials that inspired this. but it has its moments. **1/2.

SUSAN HAYWARD

SUSAN HAYWARD (1917 - 1975).

This week we look at some of the films of Susan Hayward, as well as a biography and a career study. Hayward was always one of my favorite actresses because she was snappy, vital, strong, and charismatic -- no simpering or whimpering from her (except when it was absolutely called for). She came on like she didn't take any crap from anyone, and apparently that's just the way she was in real life. Hayward started out as a glamour queen, then won plaudits for her work, becoming an Oscar-winning actress [I Want to Live!]. She could be indifferent or disinterested in some mediocre projects, but when she was really in tune with a role her performances sizzled. She graced great and good films, and generally was the best thing in such terrible movies as Valley of the Dolls. Hayward had that certain something extra right from the start as exhibited in early movies like Change of Heart. She later gave very strong and even outstanding performances in Smash Up, I'll Cry Tomorrow, Deadline at Dawn, and many, many others. She died much too soon at age 57.

AND NOW TOMORROW

Susan Hayward and Loretta Young

AND NOW TOMORROW (1944). Director: Irving Pichel.

Socialite Emily Blair (Loretta Young) has become deaf due to meningitis, and pursues different doctors to find a cure. Family friend Dr. Weeks (Cecil Kellaway) gets Emily together with Merek Vance (Alan Ladd), who is working on a serum that may cure Emily, but who has a chip on his shoulder regarding her wealth and privilege. Adding to the complications is the fact that Emily's fiance, Jeff (Barry Sullivan), has fallen in love with her somewhat selfish sister, Janice (Susan Hayward), and vice versa. If she gets her hearing back, Emily may be in for a big surprise ... And Now Tomorrow is an entertaining soap opera that probably has little to do with the realities of hearing loss, and might even be considered a heartless fantasy for the deaf. On the other hand, it's very well-acted, with Young, Hayward, and Kellaway [Love Letters] taking the top honors, although Ladd [Boy on a Dolphin] and Sullivan [Jeopardy] also acquit themselves nicely. Beulah Bondi, Grant Mitchell and Helen Mack have smaller roles, and all are fine. The movie borders on the absurd at times but never quite goes overboard. and is well-paced and entertaining. Young is excellent, but Hayward comes close at times to stealing the movie from her.

Verdict: Having a handsome doctor is half of it. ***.

THE LOST MOMENT

Robert Cummings and Susan Hayward

THE LOST MOMENT (1947). Director: Martin Gabel.

"It's only being with people that makes one lonely."

Publisher Lewis Venable (Robert Cummings) comes to Venice hoping to obtain letters written by the late poet Jeffrey Ashton to the now-aged Julianna Borderau (Agnes Moorehead). Lewis pretends to be an author seeking an atmospheric place to write his novel, and pays an exorbitant fee for rooms in the manor owned by Julianna, who lives with her niece, Tina (Susan Hayward). Both women seem to be keeping secrets regarding Ashton, who simply disappeared many years ago. The Lost Moment sort of uses the basic framework for Henry James' novella "The Ashton Papers," but is turned into an unconvincing psychological mystery with an expected resolution. Cummings [Saboteur] is okay, but not well-cast, and Hayward [I'll Cry Tomorrow] is better as a woman undergoing an identity crisis, while an unrecognizable Moorehead [Dark Passage] certainly scores as the crone-like Julianna. Joan Lorring, Minerva Urecal and Eduardo Ciannelli offer flavorful supporting performances.

Verdict: This dies a slow death long before the conclusion. **.