gstevens-2

IMDb member since February 2000
    Lifetime Total
    10+
    IMDb Member
    24 years

Reviews

The Untouchables
(1993)

Canned way too soon
I saw this show early on in its first few episodes and was very favorable impressed by the great performances of Tom Amandes as Elliott Ness( by the way, Mr Amandes looks enough like Jimmy Stewart to almost be his twin brother, I could,'t believe the very close resemblence), and Robert Forsythe, who played Al Capone. Mr Forsythe brought a measure of depth to the usual Capone gangster portrayal. I hope that this show will still be viewable even as reruns. It was canned way too soon.I would even like to see it on vhs. It would be well worth the buying price.

Buffalo Bill
(1944)

C.B.DeMille-style western
All the action in this movie is mostly towards the beginning-the indian vs calvary battle which bestows the famous reputation of indian-fighter on the main character, Buffalo Bill. The battle scenes are enhanced by the large numbers of real indians who were wearing real eagle feathers, and even the participation of a young indian woman in the battle(a similarity to the Custer battle, where indian women also participated). Staging a battle with large numbers of horses in the middle of a river must have been challenging. The indians would have probably chosen a much better site, but the storyline said they were in a hurry to get through a vital pass and so the clash.Buffalo Bill summarized his feelings for the indians by saying,"they were all my friends." the rest of the movie focuses on his personal life and tragedies. His final speech to his fans gave the viewer a feel for the about-to-be-lost glory and grandeur of the old west.It made me think of how far beyond anything C.B. DeMille ever did the true west really was.

Rhubarb
(1951)

Miss you, Rhubarb!
I saw this movie first on TV in the 70's(I think). The story follows a multi-millionaire-baseball team owner who wishes his team would show some spunk. He meets Rhubarb, a golf ball stealing feral cat, and in the process of trying to eradicate the cat, finds just what he is looking for in a team player, all fight. He takes in the cat, and after the man passes away, the cat is willed ownership of the baseball team. (this has actually happened in real-life a few years ago, a cat inheriting millions.) Once the superstitious ball players are convinced the cat is good luck, the team begins to win, angering gangsters betting on the games. Battling them and his fiance's alergy to cats, the hero finally manages to conquer all. This movie is simply fun. I really wish it could be revived and sold as VHS or DVD. I would think it could make quite a lot of money, considering the millions of loving cat owners (including myself) who would enjoy seeing this show. If you want a simple and cute story,see this movie!

Hell and High Water
(1954)

Would like to see it again..
I saw this movie on TV years ago, and wish I could see it again..It was mostly a cold-war turned hot story about scientists and mercenaries recruited to take a sub to a secret Chinese island to spy on the project there. They encounter various adventures while looking for the base and when they do find it they discover a Chinese plot to start WW3 and blame it on the United States by dropping a atom bomb from a carefully made up to look like US bomber.Of course, the plot is foiled by the brave heroics of the sub crew. I imagine that the political relationship between China and the US was the reason the movie has not been seen recently. I enjoyed the blend of character and action in this movie. The plot would be plausible in any event. I hope it will come out on vhs or DVD.

Annie Get Your Gun
(1950)

One of the best!
I saw this movie when it came out. It has become my favorite musical over the years. Betty Hutton was absolutely wonderful as the hill-billy girl who discovers herself in a Wild West Show. I have never seen anyone else throw themselves into a musical role with such vitality. Let's face it, those who would have preferred Judy Garland would have, at this point in her career, been sadly disappointed. Her filmed screen test shows that very clearly. Thank Goodness for Betty Hutton's wonderful performance. She held her end of the show up all the way. The costumes, shooting and trick riding were great to watch, and the actors such as J Carroll Naish and Louis Calhern were great too. Howard Keel was also a perfect match for Hutton, with a voice to enhance any movie. I waited for years for it to be available to buy. Lots of fun movie.

Destination Gobi
(1953)

Unusual Story for WW2
I saw this movie on television years ago. Thankfully it was filmed in color, which only serves to enhance the appearance of the Mongol culture depicted in the film. Richard Widmark is always fun to watch and watching the two opposite cultures Mongol and Navy try to deal with each other was interesting. The story was unusual although mostly factual and would like to see it again, even purchase it. It manages to keep your attention mostly without explosions and chaos typical of a wartime environment. Good movie!

The Steel Lady
(1953)

nothing special, just fun to watch
I saw this movie on television at least twice, and I still remember it as enjoyable. I guess it is the treasure-hunter in me that enjoys the idea of a lost german tank being rediscovered in the desert with a fortune of stolen jewels in it. As far as the possibility of being able to resurrect the tank, I have seen mechanics who could take a pile of junk parts and turn them into whatever they wanted to. after all, didn't the A-Team do this on every episode? The movie had enough action to keep it going, and character actors such as John Dehner didn't hurt either. All in all, it's a simple escapist movie. I would even consider buying it if it were released.

The Best of Enemies
(1961)

Where are they hiding?
I saw this movie on TV years ago. Sadly I haven't seen it for at least five years, not even on cable. The story deals with the interplay between Italian and British units, mostly focusing on the commanding officers on each side. Sordi and Niven couldn't have been better in their roles. Against the backdrop of the African WW2 campaign the two sides seem to be more of a nuisance to each other than effective participants in the war, but towards the end of the movie we are given a reminder of the tendency to become egotistic as being a major world power involved in a campaign which totally ignores the native population in the country being fought over.This is a very appropriate touch to the movie. The two sides(Brits & Italians) were not the only game in town. I would love to see this movie out on video or DVD and would purchase it immediately.

Between Two Worlds
(1944)

Better than "Here Comes Mr. Jordan"
I haven't seen this movie for years,first saw it on TV. A thought-provoking fantasy with memorable acting talent all around. Sydney Greenstreet makes a very convincing heavenly "judge" and the movie addresses several individual human and moral situations which are dealt with satisfactorily, all the while implying that we make our own destiny. I hope this movie will someday some to VHS or DVD.

The Steel Lady
(1953)

nothing special, just fun to watch
I saw this movie on television at least twice, and I still remember it as enjoyable. I guess it is the treasure-hunter in me that enjoys the idea of a lost german tank being rediscovered in the desert with a fortune of stolen jewels in it. As far as the possibility of being able to resurrect the tank, I have seen mechanics who could take a pile of junk parts and turn them into whatever they wanted to. after all, didn't the A-Team do this on every episode? The movie had enough action to keep it going, and character actors such as John Dehner didn't hurt either. All in all, it's a simple escapist movie. I would even consider buying it if it were released.

Hell and High Water
(1954)

Would like to see it again..
I saw this movie on TV years ago, and wish I could see it again..It was mostly a cold-war turned hot story about scientists and mercenaries recruited to take a sub to a secret Chinese island to spy on the project there. They encounter various adventures while looking for the base and when they do find it they discover a Chinese plot to start WW3 and blame it on the United States by dropping a atom bomb from a carefully made up to look like US bomber.Of course, the plot is foiled by the brave heroics of the sub crew. I imagine that the political relationship between China and the US was the reason the movie has not been seen recently. I enjoyed the blend of character and action in this movie. The plot would be plausible in any event. I hope it will come out on vhs or DVD.

The Untouchables
(1993)

Canned way too soon
I saw this show early on in its first few episodes and was very favorable impressed by the great performances of Tom Amandes as Elliott Ness( by the way, Mr Amandes looks enough like Jimmy Stewart to almost be his twin brother, I could,'t believe the very close resemblence), and Robert Forsythe, who played Al Capone. Mr Forsythe brought a measure of depth to the usual Capone gangster portrayal. I hope that this show will still be viewable even as reruns. It was canned way too soon.I would even like to see it on vhs. It would be well worth the buying price.

South of Algiers
(1953)

A treasure-hunt movie worth seeing
This movie has not been seen anywhere for several years (that I am aware of. The story deals with an archaeologist's passion to find a fabulous golden mask thought to be buried in a Roman tomb. The hunt begins in Rome and ends in the sands of Africa.The pursuers of the mask range in character from good to evil. The movie rather reminded me of the movie,Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Both are in black and white, dealing with greed and the consequences of greed.The flavor of this movie was interesting to me. The rather bleak desert locations were more than made-up for by the depiction of the local tribes and their customs. Unfortunately for this movie, the background music was seriously overdone, almost detracting from it. I find this to be the case often with early European movies. However, if you enjoy treasure hunts and ancient history somewhat fictionalized, this is a treasure hunt movie worth seeing. I'd like to see it again.

Bandido!
(1956)

A good movie
This is a fun Robert Mitchum movie, with a little taste of the "Magnificent Seven". Mitchum plays an American adventurer who runs afoul of American gunrunner Zacary Scott. While attempting to steal the shipment of guns from Scott he becomes involved with Scotts wife as well as the noble cause of the revolution. He ultimately sees that the rebels get the guns. This movie is very enjoyable, with the always good performance of Gilbert Roland (as the rebel general) and several other recognizible Hispanic actors such as Rudy Hoyos. I haven't seen this movie shown on TV even on cable for years. I would definitely like to see it released on VHS. The movie has some pretty good action scenes so if you get a chance to see it, DO!

Killdozer
(1974)

Man vs. Machine
This film falls roughly into the 'revolt of the machine' genre. I was reminded of the movies, 'the Car' and 'Christine', both stories about 20th-century technology that takes on a life of its own. In the case of 'Killdozer', this is some kind of alien intelligence which when it gets into a large construction bulldozer begins to kill the members of the construction crew one by one. The movie was somewhat interesting due to the awesome power of the bulldozer being showcased. Having been around such machines for years, the thought of one with a attitude and what it could do is a scary thought. I'd like to see the film again.

Union Station
(1950)

Railroad lovers' treat
I remember this film shown once on TV. Yes, the story plotline is good and the characters are entertaining, but the REAL star of the movie is the incredible historical Union Station itself. The movie moves throughout portions of the building never before seen by the general public and reveals the enormous scope of Union Station. As a little girl I and family traveled often by train. I remember the beauty of the place, the hustle and bustle of a station which was the base for the only comfortable way to travel by land at that time.Union Station itself compares in size and beauty to any other in the country.This movie was shot during the last hey-days of the railroad passenger trains and I earnestly wish it could be brought back to video.

Trooper Hook
(1957)

Under-rated western
I saw this film years ago, and still remember it for the incredible photography of the traveling stagecoach and backgrounds.The Cinematography rivals anything John Ford has done. The movie has received mediocre reviews, however, one should remember that the story was told as a ballad. I felt it dealt surprisingly well with inter-race prejudice. Barbara Stanwyck had a reputation for being pro-native-american. She acted her role as the white mother of an indian child well. Joel McCrea also was under-rated in his role as the sympathetic cavalryman. The supportings were solid gold character actors-Royal Dano as the stagecoach driver, Earl Holliman as the shy drifter, Rudolfo Hoyos as the Apache leader determined to get his son back. For a non-color film, it was better than most westerns of the era. I hope that someday it can be released on vhs for all to enjoy the wonderful camera work in it.

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