THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA
**½
BEAT THE DEVIL
**½
BRIGADOON
***
THE CAINE MUTINY
**
DIAL M FOR MURDER
***
THE FAR COUNTRY
***** IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU
****
USA
An aspiring model from the
country rents a billboard in New York and puts her name on it.
A slight but very funny satire that coasts on the immense,
irresistible charm of its star.
dir: George Cukor
wr: Garson Kanin
cast: Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Peter Lawford,
Michael O'Shea, Vaugh Taylor, Connie Gilchrist
JOHNNY GUITAR
***
MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION
**½
USA
A vain playboy is reformed when
he indirectly causes the death of a respected doctor and his widow's
blindness.
The first of many glossy teamings between director Douglas Sirk,
producer Ross Hunter and Universal Studios, this made a lot of money
and Rock Hudson a star. Theorists who celebrate Sirk as a subversive
social critic could find little supporting evidence in this garish, ludicrous,
crudely written, badly acted soap opera. Don't get me wrong - there is a lot
of fun to be had with it. But little of it seems intentional on the
makers' part.
dir: Douglas Sirk
cast: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead, Otto
Kruger, Gregg Palmer
ON THE WATERFRONT
*****
REAR WINDOW
*****
RIFIFI
***½
SABRINA
****½
SANSHO
THE BAILIFF
*****
SENSO
****½
SEVEN
BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
***½
|
THE
SEVEN SAMURAI
***** SILVER
LODE
***½
USA
Pro sniveller Dan Duryea poses as a US Marshal and storms into the
titular town and interrupts a wedding to arrest the humble, respected
groom on July 4. Initially the community is outraged but Duryea spreads
suspicion and paranoia with terrific panache. A famed gunslinger, the hero
is fortunately blessed with Jedi-like indestructibility. Presumably
awe-struck, his foes wait for him to duck under cover every time before
they start shooting.
Despite the lazy action scenes though, Allan Dwan's B-western
is uncommonly involving, both for the tension and sense of inevitability it
musters up as well as for its explicit attacks on McCarthyism and mob
mentality.
dir: Allan Dwan
wr: Karen DeWolf
ph: John Alton
cast: John Payne, Dan Duryea, Lizabeth Scott, Dolores Moran,
Emile Meyer, Harry Carey Jr., Morris Ankrum, John Hudson, Robert Warwick A
STAR IS BORN
***** LA
STRADA
***** SUDDENLY
**½
USA
The title refers to a sleepy California town that forms the backdrop to a
plot to assassinate the President. After about 20 minutes of leaden
exposition and posturing, Frank Sinatra finally turns up (fresh off his
Oscar win) and there's something so relaxed and comfortable about his
presence that you feel the picture is bound to pick up from then on. It
doesn't, though it has one startling scene where his villainy is revealed.
To emphasise his brawn and no-nonsense righteousness, sheriff
Sterling Hayden only ever talks from the back of his throat, like a
constipated Troy McClure. The family he's protecting is made up of a bunch
of diabolical actors that make you side with the killers.
Reportedly, Oswald watched this movie the evening of November
21st, 1963.
dir: Lewis Allen
cast: Sterling Hayden, Frank Sinatra, James Gleason, Nancy Gates,
Kim Charney, Paul Frees, Christopher Dark, Willis Bouchey, Paul Wexler THEM!
**½
USA
Giant ants terrorize the
Southwest.
A paranoid 50s sci-fi that got a slightly bigger budget than average but could have maybe done better with less money. The cheap
factor tended to give these movies a certain feel which was simultaneously
eerie and trashy, and which is sorely lacking here. It's technically efficient
but not as enjoyable as it should be.
dir: Gordon Douglas
cast: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness, Onslow
Stevens, Sean McClory, Chris Drake VERA
CRUZ
***
VOYAGE TO
ITALY
****
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