The Night of the Iguana: A Review (Review #2217)

THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Ava Gardner.

Sordid lives seem to be the specialty of Tennessee Williams. What is more sordid than a man of the cloth enduring the temptations of the flesh? The Night of the Iguana is a look inside the raunchy lives of crazed priests and the women who long, lust and guide him through his dark night of the soul.

Episcopal priest T. Lawrence Shannon (Richard Burton) has a breakdown at the pulpit when he admits to the whispers of a liaison with a young Sunday school teacher. After having gone bonkers, Shannon is now a lowly tour guide for Blake's Tours in old Mexico. Blake's Tours is the bottom of the barrel in economy tours, and Shannon is the bottom of the barrel of Blake's Tours tour guides. His newest group is a collection of Baptist teachers. They are headed by the fearsome Miss Fellowes (Grayson Hall). She openly detests Shannon.

Her nubile charge Charlotte (Sue Lyon) openly lusts after Shannon. This nymphet is determined to get Shannon. Charlotte takes swims with him, much to Fellowes' anger. It is not until Fellowes finds Charlote in Shannon's room that she has enough evidence to see Shannon out. Whether or not anything actually happened is open to debate. Fellowes will get him fired as soon as they make Puerto Vallarta. 

Shannon, however, literally takes the wheel and drives them to the hotel of his friend Fred. Fred, however, has recently died. It is now run by his widow, the lusty Maxine (Ava Gardner), who is displeased to find this group at her door. The Mismayola beach resort is closed due to being off-season. It also is too intrusive to Maxine cavorting with her beach boys Pepe and Pedro. 

As if this group of Baptist women is not enough for both Shannon and Maxine to endure, they get two more gatecrashers. Hannah Jelkes (Deborah Kerr) and her aged grandfather Jonathan Coffin or Nonno (Cyril Delevanti) are looking for a place to stay. They have no money, earning keep by being a quick-sketch artist and "the world's oldest living poet" respectively. Shannon uses his influence with Maxine to let them stay.

That influence, however, is not enough for Fellowes or Charlotte. Shannon is not technically defrocked, but he probably will be once news of his romping about with this Baptist Lolita gets back to Blake's Tours. This is too much for the unstable Shannon, who falls to drink and general madness. It takes a lot to literally tie him into a hammock for his safety and the safety of others. Now, in this night after the Baptists have left, will those chains set him free? What is to become of Hannah and Maxine themselves, these spiritual and earth mothers to the whacked-out renegade priest?

The Night of the Iguana is probably more symbolic than I care for. It is not subtle when you have the iguana (which Shannon observes to the tour group, tastes like chicken) tied up like Shannon is. You have the push and pull between the brazen Maxine and the intellectual Hannah. 

While I am not big on symbolic work, I think The Night of the Iguana works in its surface story of lusty priests and the women who want him. I will not say that it works perfectly. Anthony Veiller and director/cowriter John Huston could not, for example, ever explain why Hank (James Ward), the younger bus driver could not get the distributor cap that Shannon takes. He was younger, presumably stronger and to my knowledge Shannon did not carry it around with him all day.

To be fair, Hank was not as strong as he might have been. At a bar fight, Pepe and Pedro are able to knock him out while never losing the rhythm of their maracas. Pepe, Pedro and the bar denizens are able to metaphorically and literally beat the Yankee to Las Chiapanecas. Even legendary Mexican filmmaker Emilio "El Indio" Fernandez gets in on the action in a cameo as the barkeep. This section was oddly funny. I figure that it was intended to be. However, it did look a bit peculiar. 

In terms of performances, I think Huston got what he wanted out of his cast. Richard Burton fully embraced the cray-cray of this shamed man. He at times seemed to be determined to go as out there as possible. I grant that Reverend Shannon was meant to be a bit bonkers, so it is not fair to say that he went over-the-top. 

I found Ava Gardner was not acting but being. Her Maxine was oozing Southern bluntness and raw sex appeal. Gardner seemed to find almost everything a lark. Whether it was Fellowes telling Shannon off or vice versa, Maxine loved to be faux scandalized. I did not think that Ava Gardner was great as Maxine. Again, I think she was playing herself, though perhaps not as loony as everyone else in The Night of the Iguana was.

She was not afraid to call things as they were. Maxine at one point flat-out suggested to Fellowes that she was a lesbian. Fellowes, as played by Grayson Hall in an Oscar-nominated performance, was bitchy beyond belief. That suited the character well, this hard, brittle and arrogant figure. Hall made one instantly hate Fellowes even when she was right. 

Deborah Kerr's statelier Hannah was excellent. She has a wonderful monologue near the end about her limited physical experiences that holds your attention. I do grant that I kept looking at Kerr's eyes and wondered if there was something wrong with them. It looked like her right eye was not looking in the same direction as her left. Sue Lyon had the worst of it as Charlotte. This role felt like a variation of her Lolita character.  Here too she was this nubile temptress to an older man. To be fair Charlotte was more willing and aggressive than Lolita's Dolores was.

The Night of the Iguana has a unique feature in Gabriel Figueroa's Oscar-nominated cinematography. Figueroa was a legendary Mexican cinematographer who rarely ventured into American films. This is a standout in his filmography. 

I did think that the film went on a bit longer than needed. Despite this and perhaps a somewhat upbeat ending, I think The Night of the Iguana has more to recommend it than not. You might not find it on Mexican Radio, but The Night of the Iguana works quite well.

DECISION: C+

Foreign Correspondent: A Review

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Joel McRae.

The Second World War was inching towards the United States when Foreign Correspondent was released. Blending suspense, romance, a dash of comedy and a bit of propaganda, Foreign Correspondent might be longer than needed but has enough positives to make it a worthwhile watching.

New York Morning Globe editor Mr. Powers (Harry Davenport) is convinced that Europe is on the edge of a powder keg. He also is irritated that his and other "foreign correspondents" cannot find the story if it walked in on them. Powers is convinced that he needs a crime reporter willing to pound the pavement (and maybe a few policemen) to get the truth. For that, he summons crime beat reporter Johnny Jones. Rechristening Jones as "Huntley Haverstock" (Joel McRae), he tells Jones/Haverstock to get him actual news.

Haverstock immediately falls into a dynamite story. He is tasked to interview Dutch diplomat Van Meer (Albert Basserman). He has been instrumental in attempting to avoid a new European war with knowledge of a major treaty. He is also working with the Universal Peace Party, headed by Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall). The elegant, sophisticated Fisher seems desperate to stop any war. He might be better suited in stopping Jones/Haverstock from eyeing his pretty daughter Carol (Laraine Day). Haverstock is instantly smitten, to where he barely listens to anything anyone other than Carol have to say. 

There is however, a most curious thing. When Haverstock reencounters Van Meer in Amsterdam where the final negotiations have shifted, Van Meer does not recognize Haverstock. This is most bizarre since they had literally shared a cab the day before. Things do not get cleared up when someone assassinates Van Meer in front of Haverstock and others. Haverstock's efforts to catch the killer fail despite his best efforts. Those efforts also include Carol and her friend Scott ffollitt (George Sanders) (ffollitt insisting that his surname is all lowercase letters). It looks like despite their chase it is a dead end to find the killer. Or is it?

Jones is on the case. He finds that Van Meer is still alive, with Van Meer's double being the one gunned down. Why all this deception? It is all part of an elaborate plot to not stop war, but to bring it about. Now, Jones/Haverstock is the man who knows too much. Those holding Van Meer prisoner must now stop Haverstock at all costs. These scheming Europeans, however, have not counted on the street-smart American. They also haven't counted on Huntley and Carol falling in love.

Huntley is in danger of falling in more ways than one. There is an inside man in the Universal Peace Party who wants war. This figure thinks that war will save his country. He also knows that Van Meer knows of Clause 27, a secret clause in the treaty known only to two people. Will Van Meer break? Who is the traitor within the Universal Peace Party? Things reach a fiery conclusion once war does begin, but will Huntley's message break through to the American people?

Foreign Correspondent even then was thinly veiled propaganda to persuade reluctant Americans to enter the war on the Allied side. Huntley's final broadcast could not have been clearer had it been spoken by Winston Churchill himself. As bombs fall on London, Haverstock calls on America to "keep the lights on". "Hello, America, hang on to your lights. They're the only lights left on in the world". It is clear that Foreign Correspondent used the espionage angle to show the dangers that Europe and later America were facing.

It also helped that Alfred Hitchcock got the best cast for Foreign Correspondent. Joel McCrae has a breezy manner and a very American attitude towards things. He handles the action and humor with equal adeptness. Johnny Jones is relaxed, even a bit contemptuous of things initially. He is not exactly happy-go-lucky but someone who does not abide falseness. McCrae makes Jones/Haverstock into a man of action and humor. The scene where he is attempting to communicate with a Latvian diplomat is one of wry humor. Shortly afterwards, the massive grin McCrae has when seeing the beautiful Carol shows that Foreign Correspondent is not afraid of making Haverstock look downright goofy if it gets a chuckle.

McCrae does not, however, shrink from action. Several times in Foreign Correspondent do we see Haverstock in danger. McCrae is more than up to the task. Hitchcock teases tension when Haverstock comes close to being discovered in the windmill and when escaping hitmen at the Hotel Europe. Even here though, the various screenwriters (Charles Bennett, Joan Harrison, James Hilton and costar Robert Bechley) manage to inject sly humor. As Haverstock is escaping in his undergarments via the roof, he accidentally knocks out two letters from the Hotel Europe sign. Looking at the high angle (Hitchcock here was fond of high angles), we see that Haverstock is in "Hot Europe".

A good amount of humor comes from Robert Benchley as the Morning Globe's London reporter. Benchley has a droll, somewhat resigned and cynical manner as Stebbins. Bemoaning how he is on the wagon despite offering Haverstock some scotch when the latter arrives, he looks longingly at it. "Twenty years and I end up on milk," Stebbins remarks. Benchley's presence is small, but he makes the most of his screentime. I do not know if Benchley or the other writers came up with something of a running gag in Foreign Correspondent where Haverstock kept losing his bowler. Once the film became more serious, the gag was dropped. However, seeing the very American Johnny Jones attempt to wear British hats brought a bit of lightness to things.

The highlights of Foreign Correspondent are the action scenes. The apparent assassination of Van Meer was excellently filmed. Haverstock chasing the assassin with a cacophony of black umbrellas covering everyone is a brilliant sequence. His narrow escape in the windmill is also well-filmed. The concluding action scene in the airplane is a thrilling sequence, the chaos and confusion mixed in with the awful randomness of death. 

Foreign Correspondent shows a group of actors doing fine work. The previously mentioned McCrae and Benchley had absolutely wonderful performances. George Sanders as the suave potential rival ffollitt made the blend of snide sarcasm with genuine concern for Van Meer work well. Herbert Marshall balanced the father's concern with a more dubious manner. Albert Basserman received one of the film's six Oscar nominations as Van Meer (it lost all six, including Best Picture). I think his final scene got him the recognition, his mix of confusion and defiance on his mental and emotional state being a strong performance.

In his small role, Edmund Gwynn as the hitman Rowley takes viewers by surprise. He made this Cockney killer into a dangerous figure behind the avuncular manner. 

I would say that Laraine Day as Carol was the weakest role. She was not terrible. Day was fine as Carol, the loving woman and dutiful daughter. I think it is less the actress than the part.

One thing that did surprise me in Foreign Correspondent is Alfred Newman's score. I found it, especially the opening music, very upbeat and jolly. Newman's opening music suggests that Foreign Correspondent is a romantic comedy rather than a thriller with some romance and humor in it. 

I also thought that at two hours, Foreign Correspondent ran a bit longer than needed. The various escapes and near-escapes were maybe one too many. I do not know if we needed to see Jones/Haverstock say goodbye to his family in his suite on the Queen Mary. I also think ending the film with a choir singing The Star-Spangled Banner might make modern audiences chuckle to outright laugh now. Foreign Correspondent did lay it on a bit thick in the "join the Allies" manner.

Overall, though, Foreign Correspondent worked well as an action picture with a bit of humor and romance. That is thanks to its director, writers and cast. It also is a bit of a time capsule on film meant to move audiences' minds as well as hearts. Granted, it is a bit dated today. However, Foreign Correspondent works on most of its levels. 

DECISION: B-

Separate Tables: A Review (Review #2215)

SEPARATE TABLES

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Rita Hayworth.

Grand Hotel brought together a cavalcade of stars to interact with each other at a luxurious Berlin hotel. Separate Tables might be seen as Grand Hotel's lower-rent cousin. The disparate, desperate lives of those in Separate Tables flows well even if it never fully escapes its stage roots.

The efficient Miss Pat Cooper (Wendy Hiller) oversees the respectable Hotel Beauregard in Bournemouth, England, three minutes from the sea. She has her regular clientele, some of whom stay there for months on end. There is the excessively avuncular Major Pollack (David Niven), forever going on about his various war exploits and posh background. These stories thrill mousy spinster Sybil Railton-Bell (Deborah Kerr) and irritate her domineering mother Maud (Gladys Cooper). Maud Railton-Bell's friend, Lady Gladys Matheson (Cathleen Nesbitt) is neither here nor there when it comes to the Major.

A younger couple, Charles (Rod Taylor) and Jean (Audrey Dalton) are more open about their liaison. Charles is studying medicine, and Jean keeps getting in the way. Maud sees this with a wary eye. Miss Cooper is the model of propriety and efficiency. However, she too is a woman after dark. The object of her affection is John Malcolm (Burt Lancaster). He is an occasional drunk who had served in Britian during the war. He also has done time in prison. John and Pat seem close to actually marrying, but an old complication comes back.

That complication is Ann Shackland (Rita Hayworth). She is both a former beauty and John's ex-wife. Does she want him back? Will she let a minor thing like John's relationship with Miss Cooper get in the way of a reunion? John is conflicted, but so is Ann. She may be putting up a front to mask her own fears of loneliness and aging. 

The Ann/John/Pat triangle may have to take a backseat to a bigger scandal. Major Pollack has been desperate for news from the West Hampshire Weekly News to not be seen by the other guest. His efforts, unfortunately, have had a Streisand effect. The eagle-eyed Mrs. Railton-Bell has found that the Major has pleaded guilty to inconveniencing up to five females at a theater. The sordid nature of this news is enough for Mrs. Railton-Bell to try and get the other guests to insist that the Major be thrown out. 

Will Miss Cooper find herself without a major? Will Miss Cooper find herself with a lover? Will Sybil find herself without a major? How will the various lives at these separate tables end?

Separate Tables is not well-remembered today. However, it does have a curious place in Academy Award history. David Niven won Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollack. His total screentime of 23 minutes and 39 seconds is of this writing the shortest performance to win Best Actor. Separate Tables also won Wendy Hiller the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Her total screentime is 21 minutes and 48 seconds. 

It is most fascinating that someone can be considered Supporting and someone else can be considered Lead when their screen-times are separated by less than three minutes. In a curious turn, Deborah Kerr, the third nominated Separate Tables performer and the only one who did not win, is on screen for approximately the same amount of time as Niven. Kerr was nominated for Best Lead Actress. Rita Hayworth and Burt Lancaster were, technically, on screen longer than Kerr, Niven and Hiller but were not nominated.

This is not the time to discuss whether or not David Niven and Deborah Kerr are lead or supporting actors. It is also not the time to discuss whether Niven and/or Kerr should have won or lost. Instead, let us focus on the various performances in a film that earned seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture. 

Separate Tables is an actor's showcase. We see a collection of talented performers mostly play against type. This may have been a major factor as to why David Niven won as the disgraced major. This is not the usual Niven performance of the charming, elegant man. Major Pollack is deeply anxious and troubled. He's also a masher, which also plays against the Niven persona. David Niven does have an elegant and moving monologue when he is confronted by a pained Sybil. He expresses his fears of women and of his own poor background. In terms of acting, it is a solid bit of work.

In terms of a leading performance, that is still iffy. Niven disappears for a good part of Separate Tables, leading one to think that maybe he should have been in Supporting rather than Lead.

Separate Tables is, as stated, a way to see many actors play against type. Rita Hayworth is quite strong as Ann. This is no glamour girl. Her performance of Ann is of a vulnerable woman, fearing aging and loneliness. She works well with all her fellow actors. When she is with Lancaster, she can be flirtatious or deeply vulnerable depending on the situation. When she is with Kerr, she is empathetic. Rita Hayworth showed that she was a strong, capable and competent actress in Separate Tables. It takes great skill to match skill with acting powerhouses like Kerr and Hiller, and Hayworth is equal to the task.

Deborah Kerr also plays against type as the meek, frightened Sybil. In fact, I did not recognize her until late into the film. She never overdoes the timid, mousy Sybil. Kerr makes the character into someone who does yearn for something even if she is frightened of sex (as she herself says). Hiller makes great use of her time as Miss Cooper. She is efficient and effective as the hotel manageress but shows that deep longing when she is with Lancaster's Malcolm. Gladys Cooper is a strong element as the judgmental Mrs. Railton-Bell.

I would say that Burt Lancaster is the weakest part of Separate Tables. He always shows his acting, as if jutting out his chin is expressing various emotions simultaneously. There is almost always something big in Lancaster's manner. I found him a bit over-the-top throughout the film.

Separate Tables has a lovely opening title theme, which surprisingly was not nominated for Original Song. The adaptation of Terence Rattigan and John Gay (based on Rattigan's two-act play) never fully escapes its stagebound roots. Parts of Separate Tables feels like a filmed play. It does, to its credit, manage to blend both acts (Table by the Window and Table Number Seven) well, if not completely smoothly.

Separate Tables is a good film with strong performances by almost all the cast. It allows the various actors to show sides of themselves that the public rarely saw. It might not be well-remembered today. However, I think Separate Tables has enough to merit recognition beyond its Oscar-winning performances of questionable length. 

DECISION: B+

Polly: The Television Movie

POLLY

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Brock Peters.

I do not know if the expression "Pollyanna" to be incessantly optimistic no matter how bad a situation may be is still in use. If so, that might explain why Polly, the African American adaptation of the Eleanor H. Porter novel is mostly forgotten. That it is unavailable due to streaming and broadcasting rights issues does not help. That is a terrible shame, for Polly is a sweet, delightful adaptation. It is also unafraid to tackle the serious issue of race, albeit with a gentle touch.

Sweet and optimistic Polly Whittier (Keshia Knight Pulliam) has been orphaned after her parents' death in a car accident in 1955. Now, she goes from Detroit to Harrington, Alabama to live with her Aunt Polly Harrington (Phylicia Rashad). It is no coincidence that Harrington, the town, shares the same name as Harrington, the woman. Aunt Polly is the richest black woman in Harrington. She is also formidable, intractable and intimidating to just about everyone in town. Miss Harrington, as everyone calls her, is not a dictator. She is, however, a quietly forceful figure. Aunt Polly even pushes her own sermon ideas on Reverend Gillis (Larry Riley); judging by his sermon, Miss Harrington is from the very dry Protestant worldview.

Polly finds everyone and everything in town delightful. Miss Harrington's assistant Nancy (Vanessa Bell Calloway) and Miss Harrington's maid Mrs. Conley (Barbara Montgomery) see that Polly has brought an enchantment into the home. Polly believes that we should be glad in all circumstances. Miss Harrington believes that we should be correct. Polly also wonders why there are no white folk in Harrington. Her new friend Jimmy Bean (Brandon Adams) tells her that the white folk are on one side of the creek, the black folk on the other, with both sides almost never crossing. A bridge had almost been completed, Jimmy adds, but burned before it could be completed.

Miss Harrington's quiet demeanor has everyone in town shaking except for one person. That is Dr. Shannon (Dorian Harewood). He is a "doctor of music" who moved to Atlanta some time back. Dr. Shannon, however, is back in town. He is also Miss Harrington's long-lost love. Both still pine for the other, but Miss Harrington's rigid manner prevents her from opening up. She is not the only one who is keeping things within themselves. Local recluse Mr. Even Pendergast (Brock Peters) wants to be left alone despite Jimmy and Polly's insistence. There is also Miss Snow (Celeste Holm), the white woman that Polly dares to see. Miss Snow is the white equivalent to Miss Harrington, who came close to literally bridging the gap between the two communities until the bridge burned. 

Polly's optimism and gentle rebellion against Harrington's rigidity (town and woman) soon starts paying off dividends. Townspeople start looking to themselves to fund the orphanage instead of looking for Miss Harrington's largesse with strings attached. The church starts finding joy in the Lord. Things culminate at the bazaar that Nancy's secret sweetheart George (T.K. Carter) organizes. Even Miss Snow emerges from her seclusion to participate. She and Mr. Pendergast share a past that connects them to the destroyed bridge. Polly, forbidden to go to the bazaar, is talked into sneaking out with and by Jimmy. That one act has devastating consequences for everyone in town. Will Polly lose her optimism? Will she be the one to metaphorically bridge the gap between black and white?

Polly was directed by Debbie Allen, who is also Phylicia Rashad's sister. That is a very talented family. In terms of directing, Allen did an excellent job. It is not surprising how well Polly's musical numbers were staged. Of particular note is Stand Up, as rousing a gospel number as has been committed to film. When we first encounter the church choir, they are a perfect reflection of Miss Harrington: respectable but deeply restrained. When we get the second encounter, one can feel the Spirit freely flow with a sense of joy and liberation. Leaning on the gospel music tradition of having the Spirit move you, Stand Up is big, bold and wildly enthusiastic. I would even argue that Allen as a choreographer drew from Alvin Ailey in how she staged the Stand Up number. Allen also showcases her multitalented skills in that she cowrote Stand Up. 

Polly's script by William Blinn even allows for some witty comments about the first and second choir numbers. Polly finds the very restrained choir not to her liking. She remarks that she's never heard a black choir sing like that. Aunt Polly mistakenly takes this as a compliment.

You also have a wonderfully upbeat number with Honey Ain't Got Nothing on You. Nancy, under Miss Harrington's instruction, has taken Polly to the posh dressmaker's shop. Polly asks if the classical music is all they have. She then looks for "Detroit" music, where we hear the Motown-like Honey Ain't Got Nothing on You. Again, we see a joie de vivre as Polly, Nancy and the shopgirls all get down with their joyful bad selves. 

Perhaps the biggest number is Sweet Little Angel Eyes. This song, performed after the very dull first church service, showcases Brandon Adams' extraordinary singing and dancing. Despite being a child, Adams dominates with his physical and vocal dexterity. Keisha Knight Pulliam does well in keeping up with Adams. However, every time Adams appears on the screen, we are drawn to him. 

Debbie Allen, however, shows that she can also have remarkably restrained numbers. Something More, Phylicia Rashad's solo number, would fit perfectly in a Broadway production. It is a moving number, well-sung and delivered by Rashad. Pulliam's solo number, By Your Side, is sweet and charming as she sings to her doll. By Your Side, curiously enough, is the only Polly number cowritten by Alan Menken, who has a long history with Disney music. By Your Side is darling, just like Pulliam in the role. Despite the various songwriters, none of the songs seem out of place. This is a credit to Allen to corral all the musical numbers into a cohesive whole.

It is also a credit to Allen that she drew strong performances out of the cast. Keisha Knight Pulliam is, yes, adorable and precious as Polly. She and Adams were wonderful together as Polly and Jimmy Bean, quickly transitioning from minor antagonists to solid friends. They play their roles with great earnestness, if not completely smooth in terms of characterization. It takes a great amount of skill from director and actor to have children talk about race without having them look or sound harsh or unnatural. When discussing Miss Snow, Polly asks, "She mean?". Jimmy replies, "She's white" in a pretty noncommittal and direct way. His delivery suggests that he does not know if Miss Snow is mean, only that her own race makes the mystery woman almost alien. Polly argues that a person's color is irrelevant to their goodness or badness. This is a pleasant idea that Pulliam sells.

The adults also acquit themselves well in their roles. Phylicia Rashad is intimidating and icy as Aunt Polly. She is able to convey a surprisingly imperious manner without looking ridiculous. Anyone who can ask "What is a Fats Domino?" with a straight face deserves major props. Her scenes with Dorian Harewood's Dr. Shannon work well. Harewood may be a bit forced in his manner, but it is not a dealbreaker. 

Brock Peters makes Mr. Pendergast into a slightly Boo Radley type figure in his reclusiveness. However, when he takes Polly's advice on how his lamp could make more rainbows if he opened up the window is a nice, gentle moment. His eyes reveal a man finding a metaphorical and literal new light. His scene with Celeste Holm also is a strong moment. The secret about the bridge is revealed in a soft, gentle manner. The regret shown is moving, a credit again to Allen's directing and Peters' acting.

Celeste Holm may be the "token white character" in Polly.  She, however, delivers the goods as the old lady who is brought back by Polly's enthusiasm and genuine warmth. Holm and Peters as stated do work well together. As they discuss the past and future bridge, Mr. Pendergast comments that there may a bridge yet. "Don't you think that "yet" should become "now"?", Miss Snow replies. Holm also works well with the other cast members. The last scene where Miss Snow and Miss Harrington come together is touching without having to use dialogue.

T.K. Carter's George and Vanessa Bell Calloway's Nancy make a nice couple. Both also work well with the other cast members. Overall, Polly is quite well acted.

It also couches the sensitive issue of race in strong but mostly family-friendly terms. The doctor who sees Polly after her accident calls her "a brave pickaninny". This is a surprising statement even if does reflect the time and was not said with any intended malice. Rashad as Aunt Polly tells him that her niece will grow up to be a strong black woman and is no one's pickaninny. Looking sheepish, the doctor replies that sometimes change comes fast to where some struggle to keep up. Again, the term might not be understood by younger viewers. The term, unfortunate as it is, was also spoken in a tone that denotes more foolishness than overt hostility. Polly does well to not condemn ignorance and show that people can overcome fear and prejudice once they get to know the other.

However, while race makes up an element of Polly, the film mostly revolves around the need to show how little acts of love and kindness can change lives for the better. Polly is meant as a sweet story about a little girl whose firm belief in seeing the good side to everything lifts those around her.

Polly has excellent musical numbers and strong acting from its cast. It might give Butterfly McQueen little to do in her final role. Overall, Polly works as the sweet, gentle story I think it set out to be. Polly will be appreciated by children for its upbeat manner and by adults for handling serious topics in a gentle way. It also will be enjoyed by all for some wonderful musical numbers. Hopefully, Polly will escape its lack of availability and find a welcome home everywhere. 

8/10

Return from Witch Mountain: A Review

RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Bette Davis.

One does not usually associate Bette Davis with both science fiction and family films. However, Davis did make a few Disney films in her career. Her first foray into the wonderful world of Disney was Return from Witch Mountain. The sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain has an interesting turn from Davis, part serious, part silly. Return from Witch Mountain is solid family-friendly entertainment that will appeal to its target audience.

Tony and Tia (Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards) are extraterrestrial children living with their community on Witch Mountain. Their Uncle Bene (Denver Pyle) drops them off at the Rose Bowl on their flying saucer. Tony and Tia are to spend a highly supervised vacation to explore the large city. On their way to the hotel, the inept and chatty cabbie runs out of gas and is forced to leave them in the taxi. Here, the telepath Tony has a vision of a man falling from a building.

That man is Sickle (Anthony James). He is the muscle for his Aunt Letha Wedge (Davis). She has been funding the research of mad scientist Victor Gorman (Christopher Lee). Letha is running out of both money and patience, not seeing any profit from their ventures. Gorman's latest project involves mind control via electronics. It is initially successful when Gorman's device, an inhibitor that lets Gorman control people's minds, gets the acrophobic Sickle on the roof. Letha, terrified for her nephew, demands that Gorman get him down. In the fracas, she accidentally destroys the device, making Sickle impervious to commands. Sickle's fall is stopped by Tony. Tony's reward for saving Sickle is to have Victor and Letha drug and abduct him. 

Gorman is convinced that controlling Tony's powers of "molecular mobilization" will make him powerful and respect. Letha is convinced that it will make her rich. Tia, unable to find her brother, accidentally falls in with the Earthquake gang. The Earthquakes are desperate to be tough and intimidating, which is hard to do when each of the four members is quite adorable and wholesome. In thanks for helping them out with a rival gang, each member pledges to help Tia find Tony. 

The Earthquake's default leader, Dazzler (Christian Juttner) along with fellow Earthquakes Rocky (Jeffrey Jacquet), Muscles (Brad Savage) and Crusher (Poindexter) have a bigger enemy than the rival Goons gang. It is Mr. Yokomoto, better known as Yo-Yo (Jack Soo), the school board's truant officer. They continue to avoid him but struggle to find Tony. Finally, a breakthrough. Letha, impatient for a return on her investment, uses the inhibitor to steal gold bars from a museum exhibit. This is enough to give Tia a vision of Tony's location.

Now it becomes a race between Letha/Victor and Tia/the Earthquakes to rescue Tony from his mind control. For that, the Earthquakes hoodwink Yo-Yo into helping him. Things reach a climax when Gorman aims to kill two birds with one stone. He will take control of a plutonium plant. Gorman will use Tony to shut down the cooling system (giving him prestige). He will also demand $5 million (giving Letha a fortune). Tia, the Earthquakes and Yokomoto now join forces to save Tony. Who will win in this ultimate battle?

Return from Witch Mountain is a good case of not necessarily needing to have seen the previous film to understand the plot. To be fair, I did see Escape to Witch Mountain before I saw Return from Witch Mountain. Therefore, I knew Tony and Tia's powers ahead of time. However, as I think on the film, I think that screenwriter Malcolm Marmostein filled in enough information for audiences who had not seen the previous film to follow the plot pretty much well enough. We know that Tony and Tia are humanoid beings from another world when they ride into the Rose Bowl on a spaceship. We know that they are telepathic, able to levitate and use their powers to do such things as open locks and lift heavy objects. As the film goes on, we see Tony and Tia's alien powers. Therefore, I think anyone who had not seen Escape to Witch Mountain would understand Return from Witch Mountain well.

As this is a Disney film, Return from Witch Mountain is clearly and squarely family friend. The Earthquakes are the most wholesome and cute tween gang members in film history. There is something delightfully square about Dazzler, Rocky, Muscles and Crusher. Try as they might, the Earthquakes could not intimidate a litter of kittens. One senses that the people involved in Return from Witch Mountain know that the gangs here should not be violent or dangerous. It is as if the kids are cosplaying at things they are far too young to understand. "You can't be tough and educated", one of the Earthquakes observes. Each of the Earthquakes delivers their lines with a mix of cutesy and almost innocence.

I will say that it is very interesting that for being a Disney film, Return from Witch Mountain has kidnapping and suggestions of murdering minors as major plot points. However, because the overall spirit of the film is rather wholesome, one does not really pause to think on the downright murderous ideas of Letha and Victor.  However, I think everyone sees that while there must be danger, that danger must be mild. 

Return from Witch Mountain has some surprisingly strong elements. Of particular note is an impressive sequence where we get a long Steadicam shot of the Earthquakes leading Tia into their hideout. The camera follows the kids for what seems two or three floors. I was surprised at how good this sequence was. Credit should be given here more than in the visual effects. The effects in Return from Witch Mountain are serviceable though a bit quaint even by the 1970 standards. The scene where Letha is stealing the gold by creating chaos at the museum and having Tony float the bricks away in the confusion works, albeit do look a bit curious.

Director John Hough keeps things going to where the time flies by. He also got strong performances from his cast. I think everyone got that Return from Witch Mountain was a bit of a lark and targeted at families. As such, the adult performances were closer to camp than straightforwardly menacing or dangerous. Christopher Lee was probably the actor leaned in most on the camp manner of acting. His Victor Gorman seemed to be so imperious as to almost slip into farce. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The film needed a slightly over-the-top villain. Christopher Lee did not make Gorman into a comic character. He, however, did not make him a dangerous one either. Instead, Lee played the mad scientist as someone who was so egotistical that he did not notice anything other than his own genius. As Letha wryly observed to her nephew, "Professor Gorman is extremely busy being a genius". 

Anthony James was more menacing as Sickle. He had his lighter moments, usually involving his acrophobia (his journey starts and ends with him very reluctantly finding himself way up). James made Sickle into a dangerous person, someone who would break necks without a second thought. He is not purely evil on screen, at least enough to have the target audience of children recoil. His efforts to collect the gold do give him a moment of lightness. Overall, though, James was the more dangerous of the three.

Bette Davis was somewhere in the middle. She took things somewhat seriously. However, at times Davis seemed to play Letha as if the whole thing was more an amusing lark. A good case for the former is her terror at seeing Sickle climbing higher and in danger of falling to his death. A good case for the latter is when she is ultimately defeated. For some reason, her offer of taking the children for candy, sodas and ice cream after abducting them and trying to kill them wasn't taken up. Instead, she was taken up. "It's absolutely dreadful the way they bring up children these days", Letha deadpans at the end. 

The last adult served well as something of comic relief. Return from Witch Mountain was Jack Soo's final film before his death from cancer the following year at 61. He played Yokomoto as a well-meaning man caught up in strange circumstance. Yo-Yo was mostly a comic character, forever chasing the Earthquakes or Gannon/Letha in a Keystone Kops manner. However, near the end, he has a surprisingly touching monologue where he tells them that all he wanted for the kids was for them not to grow up to be bums. His great hope was that they would return to him years later and thank him for saving them from a wasted life.

As a side note, the film does have another humorous character in a security guard at the plutonium plant. When Tony first levitates him, his cry of "Why?" is hilarious. After Tia brings him down, the dumb guard insists that the kids can't go in because they have no IDs. At that point, Tia levitates him again and leaves him there. 

The kids did very good jobs in their roles. Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards knew their characters. It was a wise decision to split them. Eisenmann had the slightly easier job as he was pretty much a zombie for most of Return from Witch Mountain. Richards' Kim was forever polite and pleasant. The various Earthquakes as stated made up the most adorable would-be gang in film history. Each of the kids did a solid job with their characters, a blend of comic and innocent despite their efforts at intimidation.

The film does have some 1970's touches, such as Lalo Shifrin's score. It also has a comic though probably un-P.C. moment during the gold robbery. One of the guards attempting to control the runaway stagecoach is startled to find a Native American dummy hovering over him. In the chaos, that guard throws his toupee at the Indian figure, making it look like a scalp. It is funny in a kid-friendly way, but I wonder if it would be seen as problematic today.

Overall, Return from Witch Mountain is an entertaining family film. It is a bit dated, but it is enjoyable. You do get a nice time capsule with it, seeing the vast open fields around the Rose Bowl and Los Angeles at the time that the film was made. I found it a pleasant return and solid sequel to the story of tween aliens in danger.

DECISION: B-

Rear Window (1954): A Review

REAR WINDOW

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is James Stewart.

"Oh, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors". So sang Charlie Rich in Behind Closed Doors. While it might be true that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, Charlie Rich never mentioned anything about open windows. Rear Window takes its simple premise and works it into a well-crafted suspenseful scenario.

Photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is one week away from having his leg cast removed. He is going stir-crazy in his Greenwich Village apartment, itching to go back to dangerous hot spots. He has been whiling away the time by looking outside his rear window into the various private lives of his neighbors. There is the luscious "Miss Torso" (Georgine Darcy), a dancer who is never short on company. Someone who is desperately short on company is "Miss Lonelyhearts" (Judith Evelyn). She is a middle-aged woman who has imaginary dinners with gentlemen callers and drinks to ease the loneliness. There is the sculptress "Miss Hearing Aid" (Jesslyn Fax), forever working on her avant-garde art. A Songwriter (Ross Bagdasarian) is forever working on a love theme. A newlywed couple is also there, though their shades are almost always closed. A relatively happy couple sleeps in the fire escape, with their dog being hoisted up and down on a pulley. There is an unhappily married couple whom we learn are Lars and Anna Thorwald (Raymond Burr and Irene Winston). 

Jeff observes all of them with a mixture of amusement and indifference. He seems to struggle with observing his long-term girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly). Lisa, a fashion purchaser, is the most elegant, posh, beautiful woman around. She is perfect, which is exactly what troubles Jeff. He loves her but thinks that his rough life would clash with her upper-crust society world. Lisa is adamant that she can rough it if needed, a highly dubious assertion. Jeff's nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) is equally adamant that Lisa is the perfect woman for Jeff. Stella is also adamant that Jeff's Peeping Tom routine is unhealthy.

Looking in on his neighbors does have an unexpected surprise for Jeff. He begins to suspect that Lars Thorwald has offed his nagging wife. Could Jeff have witnessed a murder? Jeff thinks so, but no one else does. Chief among his doubters is Jeff's wartime buddy and current New York Police Detective Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey). He doesn't see any evidence of murder. Jeff, however, will not be denied. Soon both Lisa and Stella begin to suspect that there is something wicked going on across the courtyard. The three soon start conducting their own investigation. Did Lars Thorwald really murder his wife? What fates await the other residents of the apartment block? Will Jeff survive the private eyes that now start watching him?

Rear Window is, to my mind, a surprisingly simple story. Yet the story soon starts working on the viewer. I am not fond of the idea that Rear Window is a meta-commentary on film viewing. I can see how people might think that. The story is about someone watching someone else, which is what all filmgoing is. However, this might be a case of reading too much into things. Yet, I digress.

Rear Window works well because over the course of the film, we get actually more information than the characters. A few times, we see Jeff asleep. We the audience see Thorwald leave the apartment more than Jeff does. Alfred Hitchcock has some wonderful sequences that give us detail and background without having to say anything at all. The opening shows us the various lives of the residents to where we understand who these people are. As we go around Jeff's apartment, we see his broken leg, then the dangerous photographs, down to the smashed camera and finally a glamorous magazine cover. John Michael Hayes' screenplay fills us in with information right from the start.

The adaptation of Cornell Woodrich's short story builds up its suspense gradually. To its credit, the film never suggests that Jeff is crazy or imagining things. Instead, it allows him and the other characters to build up their differing points of view on the various situations. 

The film is filled with excellent performances. James Stewart makes Jeff into a frustrated man. He is frustrated at the temporary physical limitations he has. He is frustrated by people's initial resistance to his ideas about Thorwald. He is especially frustrated in his relationship with Lisa. Stewart's Jeff is at times sarcastic and thoughtless. We do see, however, his growing obsession about the potential murder. We also see Jeff's quiet realization that Lisa has more to her than elegant dinners. When she rushes back after her near-escape and recounts her adventures, Stewart gives Jeff a look of immense pride. It is as if Jeff sees iron within the velvet gloves. Again, without saying a word, Stewart tells us what Jeff is thinking and feeling. Rear Window is one of James Stewart's standout performances.

Grace Kelly's entrance sixteen minutes into the film is the stuff of film legend. Her slow approach to kiss Jeff is tinged with eroticism and elegance. Kelly seems tailor-made for the role of the elegant, affluent, patrician Lisa. The sophisticated wardrobe designed by Edith Head certainly help portray the rarefied world of Lisa Fremont. Kelly's generally soft, posh speaking manner also add to Lisa Fremont's elegance. However, we see that there is more than meets the eye with someone even as beautiful as Lisa Fremont. She loves Jeff and is frustrated at how dismissive he is of her survival skills. She, unlike Jeff, is able to see deeper. 

As a photographer, Jeff is used to seeing things as they are. Lisa, however, sees things underneath. For example, Jeff notes that Mrs. Thorwald's ring is inside her purse. Lisa is the one that points out that women do not keep their jewelry in their purses. Moreover, women do not leave their favorite handbag behind if leaving on a long trip. Detective Doyle may sneer at "women's intuition". Lisa Fremont shows that it is less "intuition" than "logic" applied to women's behavior.

About the only real flaw in the Lisa/Jeff relationship is not their differing worldviews about their careers. It is in how the-then twenty-five-year-old Kelly looks mismatched against the then-forty-six-year-old Stewart. Younger actresses paired with actors old enough to be their fathers is nothing new. Here, Kelly plays the role well. Stewart plays the role well. Together, they do well. The overall look though is still a bit peculiar.

A bright spot is Thelma Ritter as the wise and wisecracking Stella. She is able to puncture people's behavior and thoughts with a single line. As she leaves Jeff early in the film, she observes him observing the beautiful Miss Torso. "Window shopper", she wisecracks at a startled Jeff. Near the end of the movie, Detective Doyle asks Stella if she'd like to come see the hat box containing Mrs. Thorwald's head. "No thanks. I don't want any part of her," she says before realizing her Freudian slip. The look of disbelief that Ritter's Stella gives is brilliant, blending shock with almost comic manner.

Ritter has an especially fine moment near the end. As Lisa, Jeff and Stella decide whether or not to dig up Thorwald's flowerbed where the murdered dog was found, Stella calls Lisa "Miss Freemoney". It is a blink-and-you-miss it moment that I understand is disputed to have actually happened. This might be a Mandela effect situation, and the subtitles have it as "Miss Fremont". However, I never heard anything other than "Freemoney", a sly pun on both Lisa's last name and her elegant, posh background.

Rear Window is a tightly constricted film. Alfred Hitchcock rarely ventures outside Jeff's apartment or his point of view. We do get brief close-ups of Miss Torso and Miss Lonelyhearts when the grief-stricken owner of the murdered dog berates her neighbors for the crime. Apart from that, Rear Window keeps to its slightly claustrophobic world.

The film does a good job in engaging the viewer with little snippets of the other tenants' lives. Even though we do not directly interact with figures like Miss Torso, the Songwriter or Miss Lonelyhearts, we get enough information to make us as voyeuristic as Jeff, Lisa and Stella. We even begin to sympathize with their situations. Rear Window does manage to give us remarkably happy endings for these small characters. We even get a nice bit of humor with both Jeff and Lisa.

Rear Window has a surprisingly jazzy, upbeat opening music from Franz Waxman. He even managed to integrate his own score to A Place in the Sun at a certain point. Waxman also wrote the music for the Songwriter's final product, appropriately enough called Lisa. 

One of Jeff's great complaints is that Lisa Fremont is simply too perfect. I would not go so far as to say Rear Window is perfect. However, it is an exceptional film. Rear Window is worth looking into, or out of. 

DECISION: A+

Laura (1944): A Review

LAURA (1944)

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Dana Andrews.

Film noir never came so lush and elegant as it does in Laura. Excellent performances, a daring twist and a deeply romantic score create one of the most fascinating and beautiful mysteries ever made. 

Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) has been murdered. Who would want this beautiful businesswoman iced? That is what Detective Marc McPherson (Dana Andrews) has to find out. McPherson is a hard-bitten, cynical man. He is more cynical when he has to go around the posh crowd that make up the suspects.

There is bitchy newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb). He was Laura's mentor, who introduced her to the upper echelons of society. Lydecker got Laura her start by endorsing her advertising company's pen. That eventually helped set her up at her own agency, where she went from strength to strength.

Lydecker, however, was possessive of Laura. There was no intimacy between them, more of a sugar daddy with a pretty young thing he could escort but not touch. Still, it drove Lydecker into rage if anyone so much as looked upon Laura, let alone touched her in any way. One person who did want to touch her was Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). He is a charming ne'er-do-well, living off both his personality and Laura's Aunt Ann Tredwell (Judith Anderson). Shelby is breezy and lighthearted, scion of a wealthy family fallen on hard times. Shelby may be Ann's kept man, but he also keeps company with Laura.

Each of them had reason to murder Laura. Lydecker could not tolerate anyone else "possessing" Laura. Shelby feared that she might break off their engagement, especially after she finds he's been seeing a certain Diane Redfern, a model in her agency. Ann would not let Shelby go easily. As the investigation goes on, something strange happens to McPherson. He reads her journals and looks upon her portrait. Somehow, McPherson has fallen in love with Laura.

Then, we get the wildest twist imaginable. Laura Hunt is actually alive! McPherson, who had fallen asleep slightly drunk in her apartment, is shocked to see her come in. Laura claims to know nothing of what had happened. She had been in her secluded woodland retreat with no newspapers or radios. If Laura was not murdered, then who is the corpse found dead wearing her nightgown? Is it a case of mistaken identity? Could someone else have murdered Diane Redfern thinking it was Laura? Could Laura, rather than being the victim, be the murderess? With her apparently back from the dead, McPherson must smoke out the real killer before he or she tries again. Will Laura survive this time round? Will she and McPherson find love with each other?

Rarely do I have strong reactions upon finishing a film. As soon as I finished Laura, I pounded the table and declared, "DAMN GOOD MOVIE!". Laura runs a crisp 88 minutes, and not one moment is wasted. Laura has everyone one could wish for in a movie. It has an engaging story. It has brilliant performances. It has a twist that is open to interpretation. Everything in director Otto Preminger's adaption of the Vera Caspary novel works. 

Laura is unique among film noirs in that with perhaps one exception, it goes against almost all the conventions of the genre. Noir films tend to center around desperate people in the lower rungs of society. Laura, however, takes place in the poshest of locales. There are no shifty dames or hardscrabble, shadowy figures. This noir takes place in lavish apartments and chic restaurants. These are wealthy people, successful in business and the arts. Laura is an elegant noir, but it still is noir. There's a murder. There is an alluring woman leading our hero through a curious journey (albeit mostly from beyond the grave).

There is also the distinct possibility that it is not real. Laura carries with it a curious sense of a dream. We learn that McPherson has put in a bid for Laura's portrait. Our hero has become obsessed with the murdered woman. As Preminger filmed it, a strong case can be mounted that Laura slips from noir to fantasy. As McPherson falls asleep, the camera moves forward towards him, then moves away. 

Once that happens, Laura suddenly appears forty-six minutes into the film. From that point on, one is never completely sure if Laura Hunt really is alive or if all that comes at this point is McPherson dreaming or wishing or fantasizing his dream woman is still alive. I have seen Laura twice. The first time, I was shocked by the twist of her return from the grave and took things at face value. Having seen it again, I now wonder if the whole thing was a wish fulfillment on McPherson's part.

Yes, there is a strange logic to how it was Diana Redfern and not Laura Hunt who was the real murder victim. However, there is also on how Laura, the obscure object of desire for McPherson, ends up falling in love with him. The case is resolved in a clever way. There are now no more impediments to McPherson having Laura all to himself. 

Preminger and screenwriters Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein and Elizabeth Reinhart (all of whom received Oscar nominations for their work on the film) allows for two interpretations. Laura could be a straightforward mystery where Laura's resurrection is true. Laura could also be a straightforward mystery until Laura's resurrection occurs, at which point it slips into McPherson's dream to fulfill his own private desires. Either interpretation works. It is up to the viewer which version he or she believes. 

There is not a bad performance throughout the film. Gene Tierney was one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen. Laura gives her a chance to showcase that beauty. However, it also shows her as a woman who grows. She does not appear until about fifteen minutes into the film. By that time, we have anticipated what kind of figure our mysterious title character will be. Tierney starts out as a bit naive and sweet, but with a quiet determination. She may be hesitant against the obnoxious Lydecker, but she also tells him that she pities him. As the film continues, Tierney makes Laura into a woman who grows in confidence. 

Dana Andrews is probably the only Laura actor who plays up to a more traditional noir figure. As Detective McPherson, Andrews makes his character cynical and jaded. To him, all women are "dolls or dames" as Lydecker sneeringly tells him. If McPherson had referred to Laura or Ann as "broads", he would have had a trifecta. Andrews' performance shifts from the jaded to the quietly yearnful. "Dames always pulling a switch on you", he tells a fellow cop when Laura returns. You see Andrews' shift into a man in love, but who still seeks to find the truth.

The three supporting players also did well. Clifton Webb was singled out with a Best Supporting Actor nomination (the film also recognized in the Black-and-White Art Direction and Cinematography categories, winning in the latter). His Waldo Lydecker is bitchy and snippy, able to throw barbs with naked abandon. He calls Shelby a "male beauty in distress" to his face. When recounting to McPherson how he got rid of another rival (the painter of Laura's portrait), his sneer is palpable. "It was a masterpiece because it was a labor of love", he tells the detective, fully aware that this was not a compliment but an admission of triumph over a potential rival. 

Webb's Lydecker is the voiceover you hear in the beginning. Here, we see a slight contravention of expectations. Lydecker is not our guide through this world. He is closer to an unreliable narrator. Lydecker can give as good as he gets in the insults department. When Shelby sees who Laura's companion is, he is not impressed. "Oh, him," Shelby tells Laura. "I'll bet he's still doing the polka". "Yes. Betsy Ross taught it me," Lydecker replies. Waldo is an expert at the witty comebacks and insults.

Webb also shows him to be possessive, almost dangerously so. He is cold and passive-aggressive and controlled throughout. It is surprising to see Clifton Webb being surprisingly menacing in Laura. It does stretch the imagination that Lydecker can be romantically or erotically desirous of Laura Hunt. This is a man who seems to have no problem emerging from the bathtub in front of a non-plussed McPherson. He in a controlled rage berates Laura for finding McPherson attractive, diminishing him as "muscular and handsome in a cheap sort of way". Still, Clifton Webb impresses as Waldo Lydecker.

Both Vincent Price and Judith Anderson did well in their roles too. Price has a breezy charm as Shelby Carpenter. We see someone who has gotten through life with charm and good humor. We also see his selfishness and cowardice when he both cheats on Laura with Diane and when he apparently left his unfortunate mistress dead. Anderson shows Ann to be besotted with Shelby with glances and gestures. 

One of if perhaps the most memorable aspects of Laura is David Raksin's score. His music, specifically the theme, evokes a lushness and romance not usually associated with film noir. The theme adds to the romantic, dreamlike atmosphere in the film. It is a theme that plays throughout Laura in many versions. It can be jazzy, it can be elegant, it can be mournful. The theme in Laura is deeply beautiful and haunting. 

Laura is simply a beautiful, brilliant film. Everything within it blends so well that one ends the film with deep respect and admiration for all the work within it. Laura is, to quote another noir film, the stuff that dreams are made of.

DECISION: A+

The Philadelphia Story: A Review

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Katharine Hepburn.

It's class warfare blended with a battle of the sexes in The Philadelphia Story. Exceptional performances, brilliant pacing and a witty script all elevate The Philadelphia Story into being one of the standout films in the filmographies of everyone involved.

Two years after her contentious divorce, Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is set to remarry. Her fiancée is respectable George Kittridge (John Howard). George, unlike the Lord family, was not to the manor born. He is not a bad man but not on the same social position as the Lords. A man who is on the same level is C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant). He just happens to be the first Mr. Tracy Lord. The Lords tend to like Dexter, especially Tracy's much younger sister Dinah (Virginia Weidler). Unfortunately, Tracy herself loathes her first husband.

Not as much, however, as she loathes the press. She finds the whole lot of them gouache and sensationalist. All the worse for Tracy, as Spy Magazine has its eyes on covering this high society wedding. The Lords are particularly private, making Spy more desirous to get the scoop. Dexter just happens to work for Spy's Argentina branch. He uses his connections to get two Spy reporters to essentially crash the wedding. One is photographer Elizabeth Imbrie (Ruth Hussey). The other is writer Macaulay "Mike" Connor (James Stewart). Mike openly loathes the one percent, while Liz finds them more amusing than parasitic. Dexter pretty much blackmails Tracy to go along with a rouse accepting Mike and Liz into the home when he points out that Spy is ready to publish reports of her father Seth (John Halliday) and his dalliance with a dancer.

With all these people trapesing about, Tracy is at her wit's end. She inadvertently makes things worse when she introduces her Uncle Willie (Roland Young) as Seth. The Lords are convinced that Seth will not come to give his daughter away, but come he comes. Tracy, forever perfect and correct in her mind, manner and behavior, is set to get rid of Connor and Dexter. Unfortunately, she finds that Mike has a good mind and a way with words. Mike finds that Tracy is not a remote goddess but a full woman. Dexter finds a lot of this could help him win Tracy back. As the weekend reaches its climax, we find romantic entanglements going off all over the place but in the end, the right couples end up together. 

The Philadelphia Story has so many elements that make it stand out as a bright, witty production.  At the top of that list for me is Donald Odgen Stewart's adaptation of Phillip Barry's play. The screenplay manages to blend witty dialogue and silence to give us the story. The opening scene for example is a good showcase for the latter. Using only Franz Waxman's music, we see the breakdown of the Dexter/Tracy relationship. The music indicates that The Philadelphia Story is a comedy with its exaggerated tones. That is why the audience would be more amused than horrified when Dexter pushes Tracy down. This moment is played for laughs, especially given how Grant and Hepburn play this bitter couple storming out and breaking each other's property.

As The Philadelphia Story goes on, we have a natural build to the eccentric situations the characters fall into. I do not know if The Philadelphia Story is considered a screwball comedy, but it does have some elements of that genre. We have the wrong people falling in love, the right people right under those thwarted lovers' noses. We have mistaken identities, mostly due to Tracy's efforts to irritate Mike and Liz. We have people throwing out quips all about the place. Dinah, for example, wants to see if Dexter will "sock" Tracy again. 

One thing that did surprise me while watching The Philadelphia Story is how both sides had contempt for the other. The Lord family accepts being wealthy as a fact of life and see nothing wrong with that. They look upon Mike and Liz as harsh and judgmental, who see the Lords not as individuals but as symbols of unearned wealth. Mike, for his part, has open contempt for the Lords. As Tracy tells him, he is a snob in his own way. "The prettiest sight in this fine pretty world is the privileged class enjoying its privileges", Mike quips. He fancies himself a champion of the people, but he is so bitter against those whose only fault is having more than he does. Yet, I digress.

Another element is in all the performances. Major credit should go to George Cukor, who kept the pace steady and kept things grounded for a comedy. Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey received Oscar nominations for their performances, with Stewart winning Best Actor. 

The Philadelphia Story is one of Katharine Hepburn's finest performances. I think it might be fair to say that she is playing a variation of herself. That might not be too far off the mark seeing as how The Philadelphia Story was written for her and she was recreating her Broadway role. Hepburn's Tracy Lord is haughty and imperious. She holds high exacting standards for others and for herself. However, she is also a woman who is seen as remote precisely because she is so unforgiving. "You have a good mind, a pretty face and a disciplined body. You have everything it takes to make a lovely woman, except the one essential: an understanding heart. Without that, you might just as well be made of bronze". That assessment comes from her own father. In The Philadelphia Story, we see Tracy's evolution from strict and harsh judgments to a realization that all of us have frailties. That she maintains high standards for herself does not exclude her from failing those standards. Tracy learns to give grace to others and herself.

James Stewart plays against type as the cynical, jaded, bitter Mike Connors. The Philadelphia Story is his only competitive Oscar win in his career. It is a good performance. Stewart starts out as arrogant about his supposed superiority over the Lords due to him having to work and not have his writing appreciated. As the film goes on, we see his own softening in seeing the woman behind the goddess. I am unsure if Stewart, however, was the correct Best Actor choice. Again, it is not a bad performance. However, I think his loss the year prior for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington may have played a role in his Oscar win. 

In a curious turn, both of The Philadelphia Story's Oscar wins would go to a Stewart: James in Best Actor and Donald Ogden in Adapted Screenplay. 

Cary Grant, who was not nominated, more than held his own as the shrewd C.K. Dexter Haven. Grant made Dexter a man of quick wit who did love Tracy despite how unforgiving she was. Charming, funny without being goofy or the butt of a joke, Grant brought a blend of elegance and hardscrabble to his role. Dexter, like Tracy, was born into wealth. Unlike Tracy, he also knew what it was like to work because he needed to. 

Hussey, the last of the nominated performances, was able to rattle off quips with ease. However, she too had solid dramatic moments where her eyes and face told more. A glance or quick expression to show that she was in love with an oblivious Mike. Hussey handled the dialogue and the silences well.

The other actors all showed solid work. Roland Young was amusing, even a bit naughty, as Uncle Willie. He was a randy old man, having no issue pinching Liz. He also pained for his boozing with terrible hangovers played for laughs. Virginia Weidler was witty and brassy as Dinah, though again I question how she could be Tracy's sister given that Tracy looked old enough to be Dinah's mother.

The Philadelphia Story runs smoothly and keeps the romance and comedy going. Everything about it works brilliantly. The film has some of the best performances from its cast. It has a clever, witty script that moves the plot without being far-fetched. The City of Brotherly Love is well represented in this tale of love gone wrong but ultimately ending right.

DECISION: A+

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: A Review (Review #2210)

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is John Wayne.

John Ford and John Wayne are synonymous with the Western. Their many collaborations have become enshrined in the pantheon of great films. I do not know if She Wore a Yellow Ribbon will find itself listed alongside such collaborations as Stagecoach, The Searchers and The Quiet Man. However, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is an effective and entertaining film, with strong performances and beautiful imagery.

1876 does not bode well for Captain Nathan Brittles (John Wayne). He is set to retire from the U.S. Cavalry in a week's time. He also is shocked and saddened to learn of General Custer's defeat and extermination at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Brittles, a widower who lost his daughters as well, feels that his final days will not be peaceful.

Prior to all this, Brittles' biggest challenge was to serve as informal referee between two lovestruck cavalry officers. On one side is Second Lieutenant Ross Pannell (Harry Carey, Jr.), who comes from a wealthy background. On the other is First Lieutenant Flint Cohill (John Agar), who does not. The object of their mutual affection is Olivia Dandridge (Joanne Dru), niece of commanding officer Major Allshard (George O'Brien). As the song goes, "she wore a yellow ribbon", indicating that her heart belonged to a cavalry officer. Which one though?

If that were the end of things, Brittles' gruff but loving manner would tolerate things. However, Custer's demise has emboldened various Native tribes to take up arms to rid themselves of the white man forever. Brittles must not only force nearby warriors back onto their reservations but must escort Olivia and her Aunt Abby (Mildred Natwick) to safety out of the fort. The mission meets various failures. Larger than expected Arapaho warriors force the cavalry to take a longer route. This in turn leaves the stagecoach station where Abby and Olivia were to go thinly protected. The troop finds only two orphan children there. 

Time is running out for Brittles, and he hates how his last mission may be a failure. To be fair, it was through little fault of his own. That brings him little comfort. Brittles is determined to squeeze in every single minute to see things through. He makes efforts to prevent war by going to his old friend, Chief Pony That Walks (Chief John Big Tree) to try to persuade the younger warriors to not fight. Both men know, however, that old men must stop war, but young men will not listen. What fate lies in store for Captain Nathan Brittles and his men? Which of the two virile young men will Olivia finally be with? Will Nathan find that he may not end up going to California?

John Wayne looms so large on the American scene that sometimes people forget that he was also a skilled actor. Too often, Wayne's image and/or politics blocks people from appreciating how good he could be as an actor. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon shows Wayne in top form as Nathan Brittles. A deeply moving and affecting scene is when he is at the gravesite of his wife and two daughters. Wayne must carry a monologue where he updates his wife Mary about the latest goings-on, both amusing and alarming. He is very gentle and soft here, revealing the brokenhearted man resigned to life as it is. 

Wayne has several moments that reveal the full humanity of Nathan. He could be quietly understanding of his friend Sergeant Quincannon (Victor McLaglen). The Irish-accented Quincannon, who has been with Brittles for years, likes to take a nip every so often. Brittles forever keeps examining and wondering how and where Quincannon finds a bit of booze. In the end, however, we find that he has always known. At one point, Parnell and Olivia are about to leave the fort, much to Cohill's irritation. Brittles has to navigate the two roosters, doing so with a mix of cleverness and military precision. It is a lighthearted moment in the film. 

Late in the film, the men present Brittles a watch on his final day. In Wayne's performance, you can see Brittles' struggles to not be openly overcome with emotion. We also see his sheepish acknowledgement of his age when he, reluctantly, has to pull out his reading glasses to read the inscription. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon should put to rest ideas that John Wayne could not act. He gives a well-crafted, well-rounded performance. 

Wayne could also easily deliver the action scenes, commanding the men and having no patience for their lapses in judgment. The daring race across the river with the wagon forever in danger of falling is a thrilling sequence. 

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon does a fine job balancing the serious danger the cavalry men and women face with the love triangle. I was not overwhelmed with Harry Carey, Jr., John Agar and Joanne Dru as the triangle. They were not terrible. They all did serviceable, respectable performances. They did have moments of amusement, such as when Parnell attempted to take Olivia "picnicking" over Cohill's objections. The film does keep a good balance of which man Olivia will choose. That plot works well in the story, allowing for the human element within the looming threat of war.

Victor McLaglen was the comic relief as Quincannon. His best moment was when Brittles encouraged him to wear civilian clothes (Quincannon himself was close to retirement). This big-hearted boozing Irishman was not about to let young whippersnappers stop him from going into the bar or put him in the brig. That task would be to the feisty, no-nonsense Abby Allshard, who knew how to handle a man. That sequence might have lengthened She Wore a Yellow Ribbon more than needed and been a bit out of place. However, it did not take away from the enjoyment of the film.

Mildred Natwick had a good moment as well when tending to a wounded soldier. While singing She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, we see her mix of professionalism and fear as to whether the cavalry trooper would make it. 

An element that I do not think has been remarked much on in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is on how the United States was slowly healing from the Civil War. When the troop arrives at the stagecoach station, an old trooper named John Smith gives a commendation to a young trooper, Sargeant Tyree (Ben Johnson). Both have discernable Southern accents, and Sgt. Tyree is puzzled on why this trooper would praise him. We hear a soft and gentle rendition of Dixie play in the background; it becomes clear quickly why the Confederate anthem was heard. Nathan Brittles gives the trooper a burial on the site, where he gives John Smith's true name and rank: Brigadier General Rome Clay of the Confederate States of America. Abby had hurriedly stitched a small Confederate flag to place over the coffin. 

When Brittles boasts about the various men who endorsed a promotion near the end of the film, he rattles them off with pride. Phil Sheridan, William Tecumsah Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, Brittles almost squeals with delight. Tyree smiles and says that it would have been nice if he had had four aces. When Brittles asks what he means by that, Tyree merely smiles and says, "Robert E. Lee". Brittles returns the smiles and says, "Hey. Wouldn't have been bad". Tyree was a thorough Southerner (often referring to men such as Custer as "Yankees"). He was also loyal to the Union officer Brittles. There was no judgment on either side, no resentments. The film, intentionally or not, covers the slow healing between North and South.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon won Winton C. Hotch the Oscar for its Color Cinematography. It was an excellent choice. The film is beautiful to look at. Hotch bathed scenes with elegant visuals, and the vastness of Monument Valley is brilliantly captured.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon delves into the private and professional lives of those who won the West. It balances the action and romance well. Beautiful and well-acted, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon will never go out of fashion.

DECISION: B+