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Reviews
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
This film was 'light years' ahead of its time.
I remember the first time I saw "The Day The Earth Stood Still." It was broadcast on TV in the early 1960s, when I was 10 years old.
In 1951 this film portrayed People of Color as intelligent and dignified. Crowd scenes are integrated, and the world's leading scientists were not just Caucasion men, but Asian, African, Hispanic, men and women played by actors of those ethnicities. While other films of the era were Xenophobic (and I'm not just referring to Sci Fi films), "Day the Earth Stood Still" was the first time I saw People of Color as just People.
The themes of this film are basic comments and truths about the Human Race. Cinematogropher Leo Tover's mastery of light and shadow creates not only the mood, but lends a timeless style. "Day the Earth Stood Still" is one of the few films of the era that will never become dated.
Maid's Night Out (1938)
An overlooked Screwball Classic
This is one of my all time favorite movies. The perfect Screwball Comedy.
Situations and images are sometimes surreal in their absurdity. While I know very few people who have seen or heard of this film, its' plot lines, and scenes often show up on TV, and in other movies. My favorite example is the police chase near the end. Bill (Allan Lane) and Sheila (Joan Fontaine) are pulling out all the stops to get back to the dairy on time while the entire police force is chasing them. To get rid of the police, Shelia climbs into the back of the milk truck and throws milk bottles to the street. When the police cars drive over the broken glass, their tires blow out, and of course the squad cars run off the road, and are eliminated from the chase. This scene was not just copied, but duplicated in an episode of "Moonlighting" (Cybill Shepherd-Bruce Willis TV show of the 1980s)
One of my favorite quotes from this movie comes from Misha (Solly Ward); the Socialist/Bolshivik Dairyman: "I just helped a Son of the Rich!" No matter how many times I watch "Maid's Night Out", I always laugh out loud.