OldHatCinema Reviews

The Kid (1921)

Two Little Tramps

[13 August 2021]

The most amazing thing about Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" is that it was released in January of 1921. That makes this film 100 years old! A century has gone by since it was made, released, and first viewed, and yet it's still available to be appreciated anew today. The DVD print that I watched was in very good shape, the picture was great, and I felt that I was watching an important piece of cinema history.

However, "The Kid" is by no means one of my favorite Chaplin films. In fact, two out of my top three aren't even silent films, but prime examples of Chaplin's later work: "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947) and "Limelight" (1952). And my third favorite, the 1936 masterpiece "Modern Times", is only two-thirds silent!

The plot of the film is quite simple: our beloved Little Tramp finds another little tramp, and and raises the foundling as his own. Years pass, and together, they rise above their life of poverty through the power of love and comedy.

"Professionally funny" is a phrase that I thought a fitting description of Chaplin. He was an artistic genius, and he knew what he was doing and how to engage an audience. In fact, this was his first feature-length film, and he took a whopping five-and-a-half months to shoot it, which was an incredible amount of time for a film production in 1921. Chaplin, of course, not only starred, but wrote, directed, produced, and scored the film!

Jackie Coogan was fantastic as "the Kid", displaying a wide range of emotion and deftly tugging at the viewer's heartstrings. His father, Jack Coogan, Sr., coached his son during filming and was paid $125 a week by Chaplin, and also played several small parts within the movie.

It is said that Chaplin and Coogan were as close off-screen as on, and every Sunday during the first few weeks of filming, Chaplin would take the boy to the amusement park or other fun activities. This relationship was seen as either an attempt on Chaplin's part to reclaim his own unhappy childhood, or possibly he was just thinking about his own son whom he had lost, having died three days after birth.

"The Kid" features a truly bizarre dream sequence in which the Tramp falls asleep on his doorstep and dreams of everyone - including himself - as an angel or demon.

He envisions himself as an angel, with white, feathery wings spread out behind him, and a harp in his hand. Others, including a neighborhood bully, appear as demons, depicted traditionally in dark (presumably red) attire and horns atop their heads. Even a little dog, suspended on wires, comes floating by in a little angel costume!

It's one of the strangest and most inexplicable dream sequences I've seen in a film, and yet it is oddly captivating.

The technical aspects in this film - both in the dream sequence and in the rest of the movie - are marvelous when one considers that it was made a hundred years ago, when the movie medium itself was less than thirty years old.

Whether or not it is one of Chaplin's greatest works is up to the individual viewer, but you cannot deny that it is a landmark movie, and holds an important place in the history of American cinema. It deserves a look, maybe even more than one. As the opening title card reads, it's "a picture with a smile - and perhaps, a tear."

Sergeant York (1941)

An old-time film with that old-time religion

[9/10 · 10 April 2021]

To summarize (which is quite a task, since this is a very detailed, comprehensive, and well-done biopic), Gary Cooper plays one of the greatest and most beloved heroes of the First World War: backwoods sharpshooter, Alvin C. York. Hailing from the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf, somewhere in the Tennessee hills, he spent his youth drinking, carousing, and causing mischief and mayhem in general. All that changes one stormy night when a lightning bolt strikes his rifle, instead of him, and he turns from his rowdy ways and becomes a fine, upstanding Christian. When America becomes involved in WWI, he requests to be exempted from the draft as a conscientious objector. But his appeal is rejected and into the army he goes. As he serves his country, his eyes are opened to the reasons behind the conflict, and to the fact that it isn't against God or the Bible to fight against evil. In a heroic act, he saves the lives of several men in his squadron and captures over 100 German prisoners.

There's so much fascinating trivia behind this film which is so much more than your average war picture. It's the story of a humble yet remarkable man's life, and a good reminder that, as Alvin observes, "the Lord sure do move in mysterious ways."

The real Alvin C. York was approached by producer Jesse Lasky several times, asking for permission to film the story of his life. York finally agreed on three conditions - first, that a share of the profits would go towards a Bible school York was trying to establish; second, that a non-smoking actress would play his wife Gracie; and third, that Gary Cooper play him!

At first, Cooper didn't even want the role. Even if he did he was under contract to Samuel Goldwyn, who had no intention of releasing him. After York spoke to Cooper personally the latter agreed to take the part. A bargain was struck when Goldwyn agreed to lend out Cooper in exchange for Warner Brothers lending him Bette Davis for his production of "The Little Foxes." Thus, everything worked out, everyone was happy, and two excellent films were made because of the exchange.

Not only were two great films made (both of which were nominated for Best Picture), but Gary Cooper won his first Oscar for Best Actor! In his acceptance speech he made the comment, "I've been in this business sixteen years and sometimes dreamed I might get one of these things." While films of this era were consistently clean and wholesome, and had a definite reverence for God, not as many could be called overtly "Christian." Sergeant York is one of the few movies that definitely fits this category. The pivotal faith aspect of Alvin York's story is handled well, mostly due to Cooper's sensitive and sincere performance. Walter Brennan was an honest, upstanding man in his own life, and plays the local pastor who counsels Alvin. Brennan claimed to be religious in his personal life as well. He brings enthusiasm and warmth to his role, and received his fourth nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, the Oscar went to Donald Crisp for "How Green Was My Valley."

The scene in which York's rifle is struck by lightning, causing his conversion, was an invention of the screenwriters. In reality, the steps leading to York's conversion were longer and more drawn-out due to the efforts of his wife to help him clean up his act.

Ultimately, "Sergeant York" is a film that takes its time, with a running length of 2 hours and 14 minutes, but it's time well spent. The production fares well under the expert direction of the masterful Howard Hawks, who received his only Best Director nomination for it.

It also contains one of the most gorgeous camera shots I've ever seen. York stands tall and proud on a rocky outcrop, surveying the Tennessee countryside, with his hound dog by his side. It's shot in half-silhouette, and the imagery is both haunting and exhilarating.

After this recent Resurrection Sunday, when the focus is especially on faith and looking to a Savior, the following is an appropriate quote from the film with which to end this review.

"You see, I believe in the Bible and I'm a-believin' that this here life we're a-livin' is something the Lord done give us and we got to be a-livin' it the best we can..."

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

The Hitchcock film that has everything

[10/10 · 6 March 2021]

Alfred Hitchcock's second American picture, Foreign Correspondent (1940), has quite literally everything you could ask for in a great movie. To categorize it, one might say it's an espionage thriller. But really, that covers merely the basics of what the film is all about. It's got suspense, adventure, romance, humor, heroics, and a cast that couldn't be improved upon if you tried!

In contrast, Hitchcock's first American picture was the well-done, if somewhat plodding, Gothic thriller Rebecca. While Rebecca is still an excellent film in its own right, boasting the talents of Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, and others, it isn't nearly as exciting or action-packed. Foreign Correspondent is the more important of Hitchcock's films, made at the start of WWII, and a clear call for American entry into the war at that time. Rebecca may have won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1940, but Foreign Correspondent was the more deserving film.

It's 1939, and Europe is on the brink of war. An American reporter named Johnny Jones is sent to England as foreign correspondent for the New York paper he works for. He takes on the pseudonym Huntley Haverstock and is soon investigating the ostensible assassination of an important diplomat, uncovering a Nazi spy ring in the process.

Heading the cast are Joel McCrea and Laraine Day, two fine actors who are highly underrated today. The two of them maintain a good chemistry as the film progresses, and the supporting players are equally accomplished. George Sanders, that "dreadful man," plays a wisecracking freelancer named Scott ffolliott, and gives a remarkable performance. Robert Benchley, as McCrea's fellow foreign correspondent Stebbins, co-wrote the script, and is said to have written much of his own dialogue. There's also Edmund Gwenn, cast against type as an affable Cockney hit man, and he makes the most of his short, but nonetheless important, role.

And, in his second film with Hitchcock, we have Herbert Marshall, in a truly great performance. I'll have to leave it at that - because given half a chance, I could rattle on about the dear old chap for hours.

There are so many superbly crafted sequences in the movie, but I'll mention just a few here. There's the "umbrella scene," where McCrea chases an assassin through a crowd of bystanders, getting lost amid the dozens of umbrellas. The windmill sequence, in which McCrea and his sidekicks find themselves alone in an open field, windmills softly turning with the breeze ... or against the breeze, in the case of one such suspicious grinding mill, is marvelously shot. To add to the sense of urgency and danger, a single plane flies overhead. When McCrea sends Day and Sanders to fetch the police and enters the windmill himself, it's one of the tensest parts of the film. Thirdly, when two men masquerading as police officers arrive at McCrea's hotel room with malicious intent, he cleverly outwits them and escapes through the window, finding himself balanced precariously on a ledge far above the streets of London below ...and dressed in his bathrobe. He proceeds to accidentally short circuit two of the letters in the hotel's neon sign, reducing HOTEL EUROPE to HOT EUROPE, with a flourish that is purely Hitchcockian.

There's also one brief but precious scene which for the most part probably goes unnoticed by audiences. During the car chase where McCrea meets Sanders, the assassin's car rips around a corner, almost hitting a poor old man trying to cross the street. He steps back onto the curb just in time, and as he tries to cross again, our heroes go flying by, narrowly missing the man as well. As he tries to cross for a third time, a whole squad of policemen on motorcycles tear down the street, and the man, thwarted yet again, escapes back to the safety of the curb, turns around, and goes back inside his house. To the average viewer, it's just one fleeting moment in the midst of an exciting, high-speed chase, but to be frank, the sequence had me in stitches; a glorious example of comic relief.

After a rollicking adventure across the continent of Europe, approaching two full delightful hours for the viewer, Foreign Correspondent reaches its climax in the form of a plane crash into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean ... and one of the principal characters gives his life in a touching show of sacrifice.

So do yourself a favor, if, like me, you are a lover of great cinema, and enter this Hitchcockian world. Good triumphs over evil, witty banter abounds, romance blossoms, villains are heroes, and adventure awaits!

And Then There Were None (1945)

And then there were ... too many

[2/10 · 10 February 2021]

From Agatha Christie's highly acclaimed novel, originally published as Ten Little Indians, comes this mediocre "thriller". With an all-star cast, including Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Houston, Louis Hayward, and Roland Young, and directed by Rene Clair, you'd think you were in for one of the all-time great mystery thrillers of the '40's. Especially considering the material it came from: Christie's expertly-written, suspenseful, and at times downright frightening novel is a great read that I highly recommend to anyone whose nerves can handle it. It's one of the greatest stories of human corruption and brutality, of heinous crimes committed by a twisted mind, ever written.

Bottom line: the film is a bleak and utter disappointment.

I then found out that the movie was actually based upon the stage play version, also written by Agatha Christie in 1943, four years after the publication of the novel. She rewrote the ending, reportedly feeling that the original ending would be too depressing for wartime audiences...making the very title no longer applicable! Instead of the dark and bloody climax of the novel, she went in for a "happily ever after" love story.

Miss Christie, what were you thinking?!

If the production had been adapted from the novel instead, perhaps it could have been a good, worthwhile film. Although, the movie was also made during wartime; hence the usage of the alternate, rather than the original, ending.

Ultimately, the film never reaches the level of shock and suspense that is inherent in the novel. The only positive thing I can say is that the cast was competent, and Walter Huston definitely stood out.

Overall, you'd be better off reading the real And Then There Were None. In the film, there were too many left.

The Little Foxes (1941)

Would you kill for a cotton mill?

[9/10 · 10 February 2021]

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Song of Solomon 2:15

The Little Foxes, made in 1941, was the third and final collaboration between the legendary Bette Davis and the great director William Wyler. Their first film together was Jezebel (1938) and the second was 1940's The Letter.

Down in the deep South at the turn of the century, a deal's going down to bring the cotton mills to the cotton...and cold, hard cash into the hands of the greedy, conniving Hubbard clan. Ben Hubbard, the brains of the operation, and his brother Oscar, need $75,000 more to close the deal. Their sister, Regina, desperately wants a piece of the action, and she expects her portion of the money to be put up by her husband, Horace. However, she and Horace have not been on good terms for quite some time, plus he has been in Baltimore for several months being treated for a serious heart condition. Undaunted, Regina sends her 17-year-old daughter, Alexandra, to Baltimore to bring him home. Once he is reinstated in the household, he makes it clear that he opposes their shady dealings. But Horace is weak and hasn't much time to live. Smelling blood, the foxes begin to close in...

The film was nominated for Best Picture of 1941, but was beat by How Green was My Valley. Bette Davis was nominated for Best Actress, and both Teresa Wright, in her debut, and Patricia Collinge were nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Bette Davis was beat by Joan Fontaine for Suspicion, and the Best Supporting Actress Award went to Mary Astor for The Great Lie. However, it's a cryin' shame that Herbert Marshall, an excellent actor whose name is all but forgotten today, was not even nominated for his heart-wrenching and eloquently underplayed performance in The Little Foxes.

In his younger days, throughout the 1930's, Herbert Marshall was in high demand as a romantic leading man. It's my opinion, though, that it was as the wise, gentle, and doomed Horace Giddens that Marshall gave the greatest performance of his career, at over fifty years old.

Five original cast members reprised their roles from the Broadway production: Charles Dingle (as Ben Hubbard), Carl Benton Reid (as Oscar Hubbard), Dan Duryea (as Leo Hubbard), Patricia Collinge (as Birdie Hubbard), and John Marriott (as Cal).

Lillian Hellman wrote the screenplay, adapting it from her hit stage play, and in fact added one character who was not be found in the original work: Alexandra's boyfriend, David Hewitt (played by Richard Carlson). The reason Hellman gave for this change was that the story needed another sympathetic male character in addition to Horace Giddens.

The Little Foxes is melodrama of the highest order, but certainly won't appeal to everyone's taste. Personally, this is one of my favorite films, and probably my favorite film that deals with such dark themes as are touched upon here. I recommend watching it with a thoughtful and patient frame of mind, and the next time you get together with your family for Thanksgiving or whatever, you can be thankful that, no matter what quirks your dear relatives might have, they can't possibly be as bad as the Hubbard clan. I hope.

The Elephant Man (1980)

The mind's the standard of the man.

[9/10 · 13 July 2020]

Victorian England, circa 1886. A severely disfigured man called John Merrick lives a deplorable life as a carnival sideshow "freak", until he is rescued by a kind doctor and given a second chance at life.

Anthony Hopkins is good, of course, being the veteran thespian he is. But the show truly belongs to John Hurt, whose character is more deeply human than anyone else in the film.

I can't imagine what Mr. Hurt must have gone through, in regards to the several hours of make-up each day. He more than deserved an Oscar, but instead it went to Robert de Niro for "Raging Bull".

The screenplay commendably claims to be based on true events rather than any fictional accounts; though in real life, the name of "the Elephant Man" was Joseph Merrick. Not for young children, the film is macabre and at times downright horrifying; it is also strangely poignant.

Dracula (1931)

The plot had a stake through the heart.

[4/10 · 5 July 2020]

I, for one, enjoyed Bram stoker's classic novel. But the original plot and character relationships were slaughtered in Tod Browning's film.

I acknowledge the fact that this film is, beyond argument, an important piece of cinema history. It simply did not sit well with me, as I was also reading the book when I watched this. On the whole, it is dull, disconcerting and mediocre.

The acting was much too stiff and awkward, particularly in the beginning scenes. Some lines seem forced, and several actors appear to be having trouble "acting naturally". Edward Van Sloan's portrayal of Dr. Van Helsing is closer to the character written by Stoker than Peter Cushing's later performance, though it is Cushing that I prefer in the role.

The movie bears little to no resemblance to the book, and just would have been better without the artistic license.

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Even angels screw up sometimes.

[8/10 · 4 July 2020]

While flying his personal plane, boxing champion Joe Pendleton accidentally crashes and dies due to a screw up on the part of his guardian angel. In order to rectify the mistake, heavenly boss Mr. Jordan sends Pendleton's spirit back in the body of a no-good whose life he must reinvent.

The supporting actors steal the show. Claude Rains and James Gleason, as wise Mr. Jordan and flustered fight manager Max Corkle, respectively, are both equally magnificent.

The story is fun though the script bogs down a little at times. There are several plot holes that could have used some filling in and sometimes the movie is a bit too talky, but overall it is still highly enjoyable. Worth a watch, for sure.

Lilies of the Field (1963)

"Amen!" to that!

[9/10 · 3 June 2020]

A very intriguing movie, and different sort of "religious" film. Sidney Poitier delivers a stunning performance as itinerant carpenter Homer Smith, wandering through Arizona when he happens upon a piece of land farmed by a group of nuns, who convince him to stay awhile and build them a chapel.

One of the most interesting things about this film is the way both Baptist and Catholic religious views are inherent in the plot. The film manages to combine both views without leaning too much in either direction, and still respect both beliefs. You can't help but smile when Poitier teaches the no-nonsense nuns a good old "come on down to the meeting" type worship song, which is, of course, "Amen". And it's a very good song, full of Gospel truth.

With this film, Poitier became the first African-American man to win an Award for Best Actor. The first African-American person to win an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel, who won Best Supporting Actress as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).

It's a beautiful, charming, down-to-earth movie, with an ending that is hauntingly provocative. It's a film you don't want to miss.

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

A simple, honest story and a true classic

[9/10 · 3 June 2020]

This touching story of England at the start of WWII centers on the struggles and heartache of the Miniver family, and their ultimately hopeful outlook on life.

The performances are splendid and highly accomplished. Greer Garson is lovely, as usual, and Dame May Whitty and Teresa Wright both give winning performances. Henry Travers is a solid and likeable character actor.

This war-time classic tells its simple story remarkably well, and is continually engaging throughout. Though it is long, it is never dull.

Incidentally, this, along with the success of "Random Harvest" in the same year, served to put Miss Garson right at the top in Hollywood at the time.

The Penalty (1941)

Life on the run is no life for a kid.

[7/10 · 27 May 2020]

The cast is pretty top-notch for its time, with two great character actors, Edward Arnold and Lionel Barrymore. Gene Reynolds, as Arnold's smart aleck son, gives a fine performance too. As expected, Lionel steals every scene he's in, and this is one of several films disproving the widely reported myth that Lionel was confined to a wheelchair and never filmed standing again after 1938.

The supporting cast, including Robert Sterling, Marsha Hunt, and a nasty goose named Charlie, all have their moments, but the success of the film hinges on the talents of Reynolds, Arnold and Barrymore.

The climactic scene in which Barrymore and Arnold face off is pretty neat, given the caliber of these two old pros.

The film remains engaging and enjoyable throughout, and the occasional lapses into sentimentality and corniness are easily forgivable. Though not one of the "great" films of the era by any stretch, and more of a B-picture overall, it's still a good, little-known '40's gem.

A Free Soul (1931)

A legendary performance from the great Mr. L. Barrymore

[7/10 · 25 May 2020]

A good cast throws in everything they've got: Norma Shearer is at first wild and later on properly pitiful, a very young and mustache-less Clark Gable is quite nasty, in his first big film break and James Gleason is amusing, as always. Leslie Howard, as the high-society, dashing lover, is good, but ultimately has little to do. The show belongs to Lionel Barrymore, as it always does in anything he appears in.

Almost more interesting than the movie itself is the story of Lionel Barrymore's only Academy Award. Had the film been made only a few years later, he most likely would have been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category, rather than Best Actor. However, the category for Best Supporting Actor had not been introduced yet, and so to this day Lionel remains the only actor to date who has won a Best Actor Award in a supporting role, and with the least amount of screen time. When viewing this film, simply appreciate the talent of the great Lionel Barrymore, the "Genius of a Thousand Roles".

That said, the film itself isn't bad, though not exactly high art. It's entertaining and shamelessly melodramatic, elevated by a good all-around cast. A fun pre-Code cinematic romp.

You Can't Take It with You (1938)

A heartwarming film from start to finish

[10/10 · 22 May 2020]

My favorite movie is Frank Capra's 1938 Best Picture winner, You Can't Take It with You. Okay, honestly I have a good twenty favorite movies. But this one ranks above them all. Why? Because I love the feel, the message, the theme inherent in the plot. Put very simply, it is this: life is too short to waste it in the pursuit of wealth, which ultimately brings no happiness. It makes infinitely more sense to spend it bringing joy into your own life, and the lives of those around you. Why, you might ask, do you need to spend over two hours watching a movie just to hear this idea reiterated? Because, I would answer, the journey, from the opening scenes of a day in the life of a wealthy Wall Street banker to the final scene of saying grace before supper, is just so much fun - good, clean, heartwarming fun, at that. Also, there is the not inconsiderable merit of Mr. Lionel Barrymore playing the harmonica and railing against the "isms" of the world.

Under Capra's expert direction, a mix of acting talents so perfect the cast must have been blessed from above, comes together to create one of the most down-to-earth, enjoyable, and hilarious screwball comedies of all time. Oh, but be warned: the firecrackers do tend to go off with a real bang from time to time.

It's the story of Alice Sycamore, a relatively normal young woman - normal considering she comes from an offbeat clan of free spirits, including her grandfather Martin Vanderhof, her aspiring playwright mother Penny, and one old gentleman who came to deliver the ice one day and never left. She's a secretary for the son of banking magnate Anthony P. Kirby, and she falls in love with the boss's son - or rather, with the back of his head, as she tells him herself. But the horribly sane, dull world of Anthony Kirby, Jr. isn't so well-suited to the topsy-turvy, go-with-the-flow lifestyle adopted by Alice's family. The rest of the film deals with the juxtaposition of the two very different ideals and lifestyles, and whether or not Alice and Tony can find happiness together.

Some ridicule this film as an over-the-top fantasy slamming work ethic and responsibility, and making the rich look like poor fools. While it's true that life can't always be as simple and beautiful as it is for the fictional Vanderhof family, it's a gentle reminder of what's really important in life, and how we need to take the time to live in the moment, sometimes even with joyous abandon, and never forget to have some fun.

Consider the fictional Vanderhof family this way: each person seen as a unique individual; free to do whatever it is they want to do most; never overlooked; never judged; but always loved. I like to think that almost every person secretly, somewhere deep down inside, would want to live that way. I know I would.

Duel in the Sun (1946)

Zany, Off-Beat Western

[2 August 2019]

Plot in a nutshell: Following her father's hanging for shooting both his Indian wife and her lover, half-Indian Pearl Chavez goes to live with her father's cousin's family on their ranch . Arriving there, the trouble begins when she strikes up a close friendship with Jesse, the older son (Joseph Cotten). Jesse's wild brother, Lewt (Gregory Peck), has an eye for her, but seems to have everything except marriage in mind for their relationship.

In one scene, shortly after ranch-owner Senator Macanles (Lionel Barrymore) meets Pearl, he says with a sneer, "Pearl, huh? They sure didn't have much eye for color." Wow. Just wow. Definitely not Lionel's kindest role. That, and the fact that he almost seems to support Lewt's villainous ways and lustful desires!

Probably Joseph Cotten, as the nice brother, and Lilian Gish, as the kindly, downtrodden Senator's wife, come off the best, with Gregory Peck being supremely evil, so far removed from the usual stoic hero he plays, Jennifer Jones hovering indecisively between the two men she thinks she loves, and Lionel just basically being a brute.

Watch for the scene where some of the ranchers get together to rally against the building of the railroad. For some reason, I can't for anything think why, the wheelchair-bound Senator is bent on accompanying them...riding a horse as well! Of course, after they've finished giving the railroad crew an earful, the horse gets worked up and rears, with the Senator still, well, tied to it. Yep.

Without giving away any spoilers, the ending, in my own personal opinion, was really over-the-top. It involves a shoot-out, and the whole thing was just so ridiculous, you almost feel the urge to chuckle at it.

Great? No, not particularly. Entertaining? Yes, most assuredly. At least for a few unintentional laughs. Give it a try.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Beautiful and Stunning

[10/10 · 28 July 2019]

A bright, young girl grows up in a New York tenement alongside her cynical younger brother, her downtrodden mother, and her kindly, imaginative, but tragically alcoholic father.

The acting is riveting all the way around, and this is one of those rare times in movies when everyone is perfect, but particularly James Dunn, as the father, and Peggy Ann Garner, as the daughter, both of whose careers, interestingly and unfortunately enough, were failing within the next decade.

The film version of Betty Smith's famed novel is, I'm told, pretty faithful to the book, though of course it leaves out some parts, as movies are wont to do.

I nearly cried about a half dozen times during the latter half of the movie, but never quite got all the way there. Truth be told, I really did feel way more emotional watching this than I normally do watching movies.

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941)

The Best of the Kildare Series

[8/10 · 17 July 2019]

The big day has finally arrived! Dr. Jimmy Kildare is finally marrying Nurse Mary Lamont, and all his friends in the hospital are preparing for the big day. Dr. Gillespie is occupied with helping a well-known orchestra conductor who thinks he's going deaf, but that's not all Gillespie's busy with: he's also trying his best to talk and scheme his way out of going to cancer specialist Dr. Lockburg's sanitarium for a month. Everything's going just beautifully, until an utterly unexpected tragedy strikes the night before the wedding. Now it's up to good old Gillespie to bring Jimmy back to some semblance of reality.

This might be my all-time favorite in the Kildare series so far; I still have one more to go, plus five in the Gillespie series that I have yet to see. But one of the things that make this one so interesting is the musical theme inherent in the plot. Lionel Barrymore composed the music for this one, and plays it on the piano himself too. In real life, Lionel had a high regard for classical music and knew a lot about many famous composers. He composed some music himself, claiming that much of it was actually "stolen from real composers" (the way he states it in his autobiography "We Barrymores", written in 1951), and played the piano as well as the oboe!

So all that serves to contribute to a most interesting and well-above average entry for the Kildare series. I have always referred to Lionel as an acting genius, and it was funny to hear him call himself a genius in this movie, through the character of Gillespie of course.

It's also fascinating to discover a bit more about Dr. Gillespie's background and personal life. He talks about a girl he used to love, and how he ended up losing her...sounding much the same as what Kildare is going through when he tells him. He talks about how another brilliant, famous doctor helped him during that difficult time and convinced him to continue his career instead of giving up, and it also appears that Gillespie comes from a pretty well-to-do background, this being revealed when he asks Kildare to meet him somewhere to talk, and gives him the address for a big, lovely, rambling old house that turns out to be "the old Gillespie Place", his childhood home.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the best films the series had to offer!

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)

An Absolute Hoot!

[9/10 · 16 July 2019]

Well-known and beloved-by-all-who-DON'T-know-him writer and radio personality Sheridan Whiteside makes a stop in Mesalia, Ohio, on one of his lecture tours in order to attend a dinner at the home of the upper-class Mr. and Mrs. Stanley; only he ends up taking a tumble down their front steps and breaking his hip. Over the course of his recovery, he decidedly overstays his welcome in the Stanley household; him and his entourage of odd characters. Octopi, penguins, and Jimmy Durante, oh my!

This is a hilarious, screw-ball type comedy with lots of class. Monty Woolley, in the title role, gives the most memorable performance, in a role that has famed character actor (and one of my all-time favorites) Lionel Barrymore written all over it! Well, except maybe for the scene in which Woolley gets up and dances a jig, as Lionel Barrymore really did need a wheelchair, if you'll recall. Oh well.

This is the film version of the hit play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, who originally wrote the play for their friend Alexander Woollcott. Monty Woolley reprises his role, having already played the title part on stage.

Test Pilot (1938)

Better Than I Expected

[7/10 · 6 July 2019]

The plot is pretty simple: An expert test pilot (played by Clark Gable) makes an emergency crash landing on a Kansas farm, and quickly finds himself falling in love with the farmer's daughter (played by Myrna Loy), much to the alarm of his best friend (played by Spencer Tracy), and his boss (played by Lionel Barrymore), and the usual drama ensues.

While it's certainly not the greatest movie I've ever seen, it's entertaining and amusing, and the acting is extremely enjoyable. All four principal actors inject their own individual humor into the story, while still being appropriately serious and sensitive at the right times.

Victor Fleming's direction is well-done and accomplished, as one would expect. Just a couple examples: he directed "Captains Courageous" the year before in 1937, and he would go on to direct "The Wizard of Oz" the very next year.

The well-written script is alternately dramatic and laugh-out-loud funny, and it's handled beautifully by its talented cast.

One flaw I happened to notice: Is it just me, or does it appear that someone in the prop department failed to provide Mr. Barrymore with a badly-needed wheelchair?

Wuthering Heights (1939)

A Passionate Tale of Love, Jealousy, and a Very Good Cast

[8/10 · 3 July 2019]

Cathy (Merle Oberon) grew up in a grand old mansion alongside Heathcliff (Laurence Olivier), a homeless boy that Cathy's father takes in. There is a special bond between them from the start, but Heathcliff is hated by Cathy's real jerk of a brother, Hindley. Years later, when their father dies, Hindley takes over as man of the house, and turns Heathcliff into a stable boy. But he and Cathy are still in love, and they continue to meet in secret on a cliff side on the moor.

When Heathcliff runs away to America to make his fortune, he returns and finds that Cathy has married Edgar Linton, a rich man (David Niven). She thinks she truly loves him, but is simply in love with his wealth, if even that. She is really still in love with Heathcliff; come on, we all know that! But she spends a good portion of the film running back and forth between the two men, not sure who she truly loves! And everyone in the movie ends up hating rich David Niven, and the only thing he did was continue to be gentleman!

The cast is top notch, and this is one of Hollywood's best early romances. David Niven is almost unrecognizably young! Merle Oberon sometimes gets annoying with her inability to make up her mind as to which man she loves, but Laurence Olivier is very dashing and romantic, as one would expect. All that aside, it's a classic from Hollywood's Golden Year, and you won't want to miss it!

My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)

Well-done Gothic noir

[7/10 · 3 July 2019]

A young British lady responds to a job ad for a secretary, only to be kidnapped, taken to Cornwall, and driven to near insanity by her new 'employers': the villainous but nonetheless endearing Dame May Whitty, and her creepy, knife-happy son.

The acting in this entertaining, delightfully old-timey film noir is very taut and accomplished. The actors do what they need to do while still being believable, instead of pushing the slightly far-fetched story dangerously close to a tongue-in-cheek parody. While the whole thing is rather improbable, the movie is still enjoyable to the point where that's easily forgiven.

Calling Dr. Gillespie (1942)

Drama? Comedy? Crime?

[7/10 · 3 July 2019]

This highly interesting little film almost fits into all three categories, but still doesn't fully meet the requirements for any of them! Though to be honest, this first Kildare movie--without Kildare--seems to be more of a crime/thriller than any of the earlier films in the series; that is, it focuses more on the crime aspect.

Our favorite over-the-top curmudgeon on wheels investigates the case of a, by all appearances, nice, well-mannered young man who just happens to have the nasty habit of turning psycho at the drop of a hat...and ends up becoming the killer's target.

The whole cast does a nice job, though as I stated earlier, the serious plot is sometimes undermined by the comedic undertone.

This is the first film in the series after MGM kicked Lew Ayers out for being a conscientious objector during the war, and that's when the "Dr. Kildare" series became the "Dr. Gillespie" series. This first one is pretty good, and very suspenseful; the script also contains a classic Gillespie line: "I'm sorry to tell you, you're son's a mental case."

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Right Up There With "It's a Wonderful Life"

[8/10 · 30 June 2019]

This sweet, wholesome Christmas story is perfect for the whole family. With a marvelous cast, for both leading and supporting roles, and a fantastic story line, this is a wonderful film, and almost as good as Frank Capra's classic "It's a Wonderful Life", though not nearly as famous.

Cary Grant plays a guardian angel sent to lend a helping hand to a struggling bishop, and ends up changing the lives of many different people over the course of his earthly visit, particularly, as the title suggests, the bishop's wife.

I very much enjoyed this film, as did others in my family. It's not always theologically accurate, but then again, few films usually are. It's still one of the best family Christmas movies out there.

The Valley of Decision (1945)

Stop Slamming Lionel!!

[7/10 · 29 June 2019]

If you're interested in this movie, and others like it, and if you've gotten so far as to be reading this review, you probably already know the plot, so I don't need to get into all that. No, my purpose here, and in most of my other reviews, is to take a look at other aspects of the movie, such as acting, writing, etc.

So, here goes: "Valley of Decision" is overall a touching, well done movie. One of the best things is certainly the star power contained in the cast. We have the lovely Greer Garson, who really does a nice job in this. Gregory Peck is one of my favorite leading men, and what always impressed me is how quickly he rose to the top in Hollywood. "Valley of Decision" was only his third film, yet at only 29 years old he was already established as a lead. Donald Crisp, who seems to be in almost everything, is a reliable character actor as well. And now let me say a brief word in defense of Lionel Barrymore. I've noticed that a couple other reviews on here are saying that he ruins the film with his "ham overacting". Well, I'm sorry, but Lionel Barrymore was an acting genius, and maybe he was a ham, but in the acting world I think that's more often a good thing than bad. Let's face it: his role in this was not supposed to be subtle, and his character was not supposed to be likeable. Yes, perhaps his other film villains, such as Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life" were more poised and shrewd, but that was not called for in this. He played an embittered man who held on to a grudge for way too long, and it had terrible consequences. If Lionel Barrymore carried out his role the way he saw fit as the one playing the part, then so be it. Don't slam him for it. He didn't wreck the film, or his own portrayal of the character; he may have chosen to overplay the role, but I think his bitterness ended up being very effective, and his hatred convincingly disturbing.

Now that I'm finished with that, allow me to talk about the movie as a whole. It's very good, and I would definitely recommend it. It's a sweet, old-fashioned, uncomplicated love story, and I wish they still made movies like this today. What a shame that the majority of romances (and most other genres, come to think of it) made in this day and age are full of bad language and sex and/or nudity in every other scene. I have a true fondness and respect for the good old days when movies were movies!

Tender Mercies (1983)

Good Story, Good Acting

[29 June 2019]

This is a very well-acted, touching story of a down-and-out country drunk who used to be a famous singer/songwriter. After being taken in a by a kind widow who owns a motel, they become close and eventually get married. He, in turn, puts his life back together and also attempts to reach out to his estranged daughter.

Robert Duvall is very convincing, as are the other ensemble cast members. The film moves at a good clip, and the direction is very good as well. The script is well-written and engaging, and has some interesting spiritual themes.

The title "Tender Mercies", though also an expression used ironically, was quite possibly taken from the Bible verse Psalm 25:6 "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been ever of old."

Because of some mature themes and bad language, I would recommend this movie for adults and older children.

Young Dr. Kildare (1938)

Hats off to Mr. Barrymore!

[7/10 · 28 June 2019]

Dr. Jimmy Kildare, a young medical school graduate, takes an internship at the Blair General Hospital, only to get into deep trouble when he starts involving himself in the case of a suicidal young heiress who has, to all appearances, gone crazy. He is also subjected to a rigorous, and at times embarrassing, testing of his knowledge by the hospital's top dog, Dr. Leonard Gillespie. (Who is relatively tame in this first entry, increasing the irascibility as the series went on. There are instances in the next few films when he is definitely over the top! But we're talking about the brilliant Lionel Barrymore, and playing a grouch is one of the things he does best!)

This first installment of the long-running series is very enjoyable to watch. The chemistry between Lew Ayers and Lionel Barrymore is perfect, and you can definitely tell that Barrymore was having a lot of fun with his role. The good, snappy script is amusing, and while I wouldn't rank it among some of the "great" films of the era, it's quite good, and a lot of fun.

There's one serious rumor I would like to knock out here real quick: Lionel Barrymore was given the role of the wheelchair-bound Dr. Gillespie after two separate accidents, in which he broke his hip twice. He could still walk a little after it healed, but it was rather difficult for him. However, he did not have arthritis, which I noticed is the reason many sources list for the necessity of the wheelchair. In his autobiography, We Barrymores, he states outright that he did not have arthritis. His only ailment was a twice-broken hip. Years later, he also performed his role in "Down to the Sea in Ships" (1949) with only a pair of crutches.

Anyway, I just wanted to deal with that briefly. Bottom line is, "Young Dr Kildare" is an overall good movie, and I would definitely recommend.