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Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins shine in this Warner Bros. melodrama, "The Old Maid" released in 1939, a banner year for Davis at the studio. This was one of four very fine films she did that year, making her the reigning queen of the studio. In this one, Davis and Hopkins are cousins in the 1800's. Hopkins rejects her beau (George Brent) to marry into a wealthy family, the Ralstons. Davis has the hots for Brent (one of her frequent co-stars during this period) and gets pregnant with his baby. However, he goes off to fight the Civil War and is killed. At a time when being an unwed mother was not an option, Davis agrees to move in with Hopkins, now a widow with two children of her own. The child, Tina (Jane Bryan) grows up knowing she is a foundling, but always calls Hopkins "mummy." Davis does not let on she is Tina's mother, but rather an aunt; this fills her with resentment, and into a bitter old maid, hence the title of the picture.

The movie is pure soap opera, for sure, but the interplay between Davis and Hopkins is fascinating to watch. Davis has the showier part, but Hopkins more than holds her own. Off screen, Davis had an affair with Hopkin's husband, director Anatole Litvak, and now the two had to star together in a film! One can only imagine what went on between them on the set of this, but both give fine performances. Even Davis herself, much later in life, stated Hopkins was a superb actress and she always had to be on her toes as her co-star. There are some fine supporting performances, notably from Jane Bryan as Tina and the always under-rated Donald Crisp as a friend of the family and doctor. But this is Hopkins and Davis' show, and they do not disappoint.

Another of William Castle's horror films from the 1960's. This one "I saw What you Did" from 1965 is delightful. Castle was known for this low-budget films; however, being fair, this is one of his better entries.

Two teen-aged girls (Sara Lane, Andi Garrett) are alone in one of the girl's isolated homes; her parents are out of town. For fun, the two make prank phone calls. They pick random names out of the phone book (males, of course) and say in a breathy voice "I Saw What you Did." Most of the folks on the other end laugh it off. Just their luck, a man who just murdered his wife (John Ireland) takes them literally, although they have randomly picked his name. Brought into the mix of all this is the man's lover (Joan Crawford) who listens in on the extension phone, thinking he's carrying on with another woman! Not knowing who the girl is (this is 1965, long before the days of caller ID, cell phones, or even touch-tone) he is left stewing and scared someone has actually seen him murder his wife. It all gets quite complicated and implausible, with the curious teens driving to the man's home, spying on him from the windows. They are caught by an enraged Crawford snooping around her lover's property (she lives next-door) and, in a hilarious scene, she calls the teen girl a tramp and forces her back into her car.

The film does turn deadly serious when the murderer finds out where the girls live, with an ending that is quite suspenseful. First, a bit about the cinematography; it is quite good, using the most of the darkness and creepiness that surrounds the isolated house. A word about the performances: the two teen girls are delightfully bad actresses, but we don't care because they are fun to watch. John Ireland is quite good, but stone-faced and lethal throughout. Crawford is dressed to the nines, in formal evening attire and a huge necklace that looks like it could have been worn by Cleopatra! She is oddly so in love with Ireland, that she tries to blackmail him into marrying her.

It's all a hoot and a holler, but there are some genuine moments of suspense. Worth checking out!

I discovered this nice little film thanks to Turner Classic Movies. "Our Modern Maiden" released in 1929, was presumably a follow-up to the successful "Our Dancing Daughters" made the year before, which made Joan Crawford a star. In this film, Crawford is engaged to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (whom she married in real life too around this time). The two have a "modern" relationship, where they seem to flirt with others and party a lot with the country club set. Crawford wants to secure her boyfriend a job in Paris, so she puts the make on a wealthy businessman (Rod La Roque) who has all the right connections. While this is going on, Anita Page (who was also in "Our Dancing Daughters" with Crawford) is madly in love with Fairbanks. The two flirt, go places together, and we find out at the end the two have produced a child; this right after Fairbanks and Crawford get married! Crawford gets to be the self-sacrificing one, something that would be a common theme throughout her long film career.

The best thing about this film is Crawford herself; she is so young and pretty here, and her vivacious eyes light up the screen. Fairbanks is young and handsome, as is the entire cast. The film hearkens back to a different time and place in Hollywood. This film is silent with some sound effects, but sound films were already being made. Just a year later, silent pictures would be dead. But thank God for film, and Turner Classic Movies for bringing them to us.

"The Barretts of Wimpole Street" made in 1957, is a remake of an earlier MGM movie made in 1934. Here Jennifer Jones plays the invalid poetess Elizabeth Barrett. The film focus primarily on her, but also tells the story of her siblings and her father (John Gielgud). Elizabeth Barrett is an invalid, confined to her bedroom, where she writes poetry. Her father is a stern and tyrannical man, obsessing over her illness, which we are told is a serious heart ailment. Elizabeth meets the poet Robert Browning (Bill Travers), and two quickly form a bond of friendship, which becomes more romantic later on. Elizabeth overcomes much of her illness, urged on by Browning, much to the dismay of her father. Virginia McKenna has a strong supporting role as Elizabeth's sister. She falls in love with a Captain, and incurs her father's wrath; in a cruel and heartbreaking scene, he makes her swear on a bible never to see him again. Elizabeth begins to see her father for who he really is; a man hardened by life and the loss of his wife. In a creepy scene, he seems to profess his love for Elizabeth that clearly has incestuous overtones. Elizabeth knows she has to get away from her father, which she does, marrying Browning. Overall, the film is beautiful to look at; the technicolor is well-done, and the performances are respectable. It is difficult to judge Jennifer Jones in this remake vs. Norma Schearer's in the earlier one, since both were made at different times. Shearer was a more theatrical actress, typical of the 1930's; Jones is more of a natural actress. I think Jones pulls it off nicely. John Gielgud plays his part with all the tyranny and bluster required of him. Bill Travers as Robert Browning is respectable, although at times he seems to yell his lines. THe film drags a bit at times, but overall, as far as remakes go this is a well-made film.

"Dynamite" released in 1929, in the early days of sound film, has been shown on TCM a few times. Kay Johnson plays a woman who must marry within a certain time frame to inherit millions. She desires to marry her lover (Conrad Nagel) but he is already married. Out of desperation, she married an imprisoned man, who has been scheduled to be executed (Charles Bickford). The problems start when Bickford is freed from prison (he has been wrongly accused) and enters Johnson's life again. She is at first horrified; she has also made a deal to pay off the wife of her lover for a divorce. It all gets quite complicated, with Kay Johnson torn between marrying her lover and now a husband she doesn't know. Bickford gives a rough performance as a coal-miner, far from the wealthy jet-setting life Johnson leads. The film descends somewhat into silliness, as these two opposites try to live together. A word about the performances: Kay Johnson does an admirable job, playing a complicated woman, and seems to handle the new sound medium fine. What a shame she never had much of a career. Bickford is good, and he would go on to have a long career, playing pretty much the kind of working-class man he does here. Oddly, this film is directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and it seems to bear no resemblance to his previous epics. Perhaps he was struggling with the adjustment to sound as well. DeMille had gone to the newly formed M-G-M studio, and they were a studio just on the cusp of being the Tiffany of all the movie studios.

This silent film, "Beyond the Rocks" was made in 1922. It was believed to have been lost forever, as films of that era were made out of a nitrate that disintegrated over time. Film makers of that time made a lot of pictures, and movie audiences simply moved on to the next film. No one thought anyone would care about these gems; fortunately this one was found. The film stars two of the most popular actors of the silent era: Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino. The story centers around a penniless young girl; she is married off to a much older man (Josiah Brown) so she can provide for her family financially. Enter a handsome aristocrat (Valentino) who is smitten with the now very wealthy Swanson. The two are very attracted to each other. She resists, torn between duty to her husband and her love for the younger man. Despite his love for her, Valentino tries to be a gentleman, and he is never inappropriate with her. Her husband gets wind of the attraction, and the rest of the story is heartbreaking. The quality of this film is quite good; there are a few rough patches, but overall the color tints used are outstanding. It is a lavishly produced film, complete with amazing set designs, and Swanson is decked out in sumptuous fashions. The film itself was probably considered average for its time. However,it is quite a treat to see both Valentino and Swanson at the peak of their youth and good looks. I love silent films and Turner Classic Movies for bringing them to us!

"Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice" (1969) is another in the line of crazy old lady movies that became popular with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" in 1962. That film was directed by Robert Aldrich; here he is the producer, and turned over directing to Lee Katzen, known more for his TV work. This film has the look of a TV movie somewhat; the editing, the style, etc. The story is strange: a nutty widow (Geraldine Page) left penniless by her husband embarks on a way to make money: hire elderly female companions to work for her. Of course, the women have tidy savings, and so she kills them to get the cash, then buries them under a newly planted tree in her garden. Enter Ruth Gordon, who is suspicious when one of her dear friends goes missing after working for the widow. She goes "undercover" as a maid and is hired by Page. Stangely enough, Page takes to Gordon's character, and although she bullies and belittles her like she does her other companions, it is clear she respects her in an odd way. The story gets complicated; of course Ruth Gordon knows she has killed her friend, and the two have it out in a fairly violent scene. Ruth Gordon is charming and spunky here, fresh off her Oscar-winning role in "Rosemary's Baby." But is it Geraldine Page who is the real star of this B-film. She elevates the bizarre script with her wonderful acting; playing her character with all the venom she can muster, but hidden beneath a layer of ladylike charm. This odd little film is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of Page or Gordon.

May Robson stars as wealthy woman Hannah Bell in "You Can't Buy Everything" from 1934, in the days when studios cranked out these kind of films with assembly-line precision. Robson portrays a very wealthy woman who does not live like one. She is a notorious cheapskate, living in a seedy apartment, wearing old tattered clothing, making her sick young son stay in a free ward in a hospital, and guarding her money in the bank like a hawk. Hannah has become a bitter old woman, stemming from a beau (Lewis Stone) who rejected her from 30 years earlier. Her vendetta against him borders on the pathological at times, and when her now grown son (William Blakewell) wants to marry he ex-beau's daughter, trouble ensues. Hannah tries to destroy her ex-beau, through a bank scare in the early 1900's, alienating her now married son. This is not a perfect film, but May Robson is wonderful, as she was in every film from this era. There are some fine supporting performances as well. The ending is a bit on the fairy-tale side, but Robson is the main reason to watch.

"Rose of Iron" (1973) is a film I was not familiar at all. TCM ran it late one night, and I DVR'd it. This is a French film with English subtitles. The story concerns a young man and woman who meet at a wedding reception, and agree to have a first date. They ride bikes, and stop off at an old, somewhat neglected cemetery. The young man discovers an underground crypt, and the two explore it. They also have sex down there, for whatever reason; but, hey, to each his own. By the time they emerge, the cemetery is dark. The two can't find their way out of the massive grounds, a la "Blair Witch Project." Panic sets in, and the two argue and turn on each other as they go in circles trying to find the pathway out. The young woman descends into apparent madness, blathering on about death and and speaking in strange poetic-style prose. The young man doesn't know what has happened to her and rightfully seems freaked out; the two make up, fight, fight some more, run from one another, etc. I guess the director was trying to leave it up to the viewer of the film: does the young woman simply go mad out of fright, or is she possessed by some spirit? The film has some holes and unanswered questions. The actors are good ones; the young woman is very beautiful, and the cinematography is respectable. But it is the setting itself that makes the movie very watchable: the old cemetery has lots of old gravestones, neglected buildings, and the massive darkness surrounding everything makes it very eerie and effective. The film requires a bit of patience to get through, and the ending is strange. It is is still worthwhile, despite its flaws.

"Let's Scare Jessica to Death" released in 1971, is a really strange film. Zohra Lampart is Jessica; she apparently has mental health issues, and was institutionalized for a time. She moves with her husband (Barton Heyman) to an old country home; their friend (Kevin O'Connor) goes with them. Right away, creepy stuff starts happening; Jessica sees a dead body, imagines a little girl is calling to her. The question is, it is real or is Jessica imagining them? Thrown in to the mix of this threesome is Emily (Mariclare Costello) a hippie-type drifter who was squatting in the old home. She stays on at their invitation -- why they invite her to stay is puzzling. The small town they have moved to has some very odd townsfolk, who treat the the newcomers with hostility. Director John Hancock does succeed in setting a very eerie tone, thanks primarily to the dark and sinister old home the threesome lives in. Yes, this is a B-picture, but the performances are good ones, primarily from Lampart. Why this woman did not become a major movie star is beyond me; with her exotic handsome looks and fine acting, she should have had more of a career. Costello also is in fine form; with her stunning blue eyes and red hair, we quickly begin to deduce that she is not all she pretends to be. The male actors aren't given much to do here; O'Connor predictably falls for Emily, and the husband also is attracted to her. This is not a perfect film, and the ending makes little sense. The story has a few holes and unanswered questions. Still, it does have that flavor of horror films made in the 1970's; very dark and brooding. Films of this era, like "Don't Look Now" and "Burnt Offerings" have a similar feel. So check this one out: it is worthwhile, despite its flaws.

"Smile" released in 1975, is director Michael Ritchie's commentary on the absurdity of beauty pageants. The movie takes place in Santa Rosa, as it is time for the "Junior Miss" California beauty pageant. Bruce Dern is spot-on as an RV salesman by day, and one of the judges of the contest by night. Interesting, he takes his part as a judge very seriously. Barabara Feldon plays a former Junior Miss, and she is at times hilarious as she is so intense and regimented about guiding the young contestants through the grueling competition. However, she has problems at home, including an alcoholic husband (Michael Kidd) who also seems to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Dern has a horny teen-age son (Eric Shea) who gets caught taking pictures through the windows of the girls changing their clothing, and then is sent to a psychiatrist as punishment! There is a bizarre initiation ceremony that Dern and Kidd attend, with the men dressed up in KKK attire. It has to be seen to be believed! Everything about this film reeks of the 1970's, from the famous "smile" pictures that were everywhere, to one of the contestants doing an imitation of the famous "Ernestine" the telephone operator, made famous by Lily Tomlin. For those of us who came of age in this decade (as I did) it was all so familiar and hilarious. The film is obviously a satire, poking fun at 1970's middle America. It was showing us who we were, warts and all. Look for a young Annette O'Toole and Melanie Griffith as two of the contestants, and all of the young ladies playing the beauty pageant contestants are quite good. The casting of this film is excellent. So check this out -- particularly if you remember this decade with the fondness, or maybe some groans too.

"Ten Cents a Dance" released in 1931, is based on the popular Rogers and Hart song. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck as a dance-hall girl, who dances with men who can pay a dime. These were apparently popular in the early years of the Great Depression, with young ladies just trying to earn any kind of a living. Stanwyck's character is on the tough side, but she falls hard for a man who lives in her apartment building (Monroe Owsley). Brought into the mix of this is a handsome and charming wealthy man (Ricardo Cortez) who is smitten with Stanwyck, but she only has eyes for the poor man Owsley. The two marry, but it soon becomes apparent her new husband is not satisfied with the average life of working in an office and the frugal life they live. He wants to live the good life, but he just doesn't want to work for it. Stanwyck tries to keep the marriage and their home going, but her husband only distances himself more from her, and ends up stealing money from the company that the rich man owns! A bit implausible, but hey....what hurts the film is the meager budget the film obviously had. Columbia Pictures rarely made big-budget films in the early 1930's, and was considered the poverty row studio by the Hollywood elite. The performances are good, especially Stanwyck, who was clearly a star on the rise. It was great to see Ricard Cortez playing a nice guy for a change instead of the bad guy he was so famous for. Owsley (whom I was not familiar with) is also effective as the restless and dissatisfied husband. A nice little movie, nothing special, but better days -- and films -- certainly were ahead for Barbara Stanwyck. The film was produced by Lionel Barrymore, oddly enough.

"Sunrise" released in 1927, stars a young and upcoming Janet Gaynor and George O'Brien. Oddly, we never know their character's names: just the man and the woman. The plot isn't overwhelming: married rural farm couple with a young son. The man is tempted by a big-city vixen (Margaret Livingston) into affair. The vixen tries to convince the man to kill his wife so the two of them can be together. The wife figures it out, he loses his nerve, and the rest of the film is a pure delight. He begs forgiveness, and she is emotionally crushed, but the two slowly build their love again by spending a wonderful day in the city, acting like a newlywed couple. I won't give away the bittersweet ending, but these two stars never have to say a word to one another (yes, it is a silent film). The emotion they convey towards one another in almost every scene is beautiful. Gaynor is a wonder, and I confess I had never heard of O'Brien. Why this guy never had a major career is a puzzler: with his good looks and great acting, who knows? Maybe the end of silent films ended his career. The scene in the church where he is sobbing while he and his wife are witnessing a wedding is something to behold. Janet Gaynor would win the first Best Actress Oscar for this film (and two others, when you could be nominated for more than one film). With stunning black and white cinematography and a wonderful score, this film is rightly a classic. This was silent movie-making at its apex. They had finally gotten it right, then along came sound, and it would change the game. But thank God for silent films, and thank God for the wonderful Turner Classic movies for bringing them to us.

"Red Headed Woman" released in 1932 by MGM, is all about Jean Harlow. Harlow came to MGM under the guide of Irving Thalberg, the boy wonder of the studio. Louis B. Mayer, a conservative man, initially wanted nothing to do with Harlow. He felt her image was that of a bimbo, but Thalberg held considerable power at the studio, and he made Harlow a star. In this film, one of several she made that year, Harlow plays a tough gal from the wrong side of the tracks. Her goal is to be rich, and she will use her "assets" to do so. Harlow sets out to seduce her boss (Chester Morris) who is very serious-minded and very married. Next thing you know, he's divorcing his wife and is now with Harlow. Not satisfied with this conquest, Harlow sets her sights on New York and shamelessly seduces a very rich (and yes, married) businessman (Henry Stephenson). It all gets quite complicated, with more men and eventually her husband getting wise to her games. But Harlow is a wonder here, with her tough talk and great accent, she rules the film. Matters such as marital infidelity and sex are not disguised, as this was two years before the code of 1930 would clamp down on the movie industry. In fact, this film was one of several which outraged the moralists and eventually lead to the 1934 censorship rules. Anyway, see the film for Harlow. Some good supporting performances, including Una Merkel as Harlow's wise-cracking friend, and Lewis Stone, playing Chester Morris' father.

"The Last Flight" released in 1931 by First National Pictures, is a rather pointless tale of four flying aces (Johnny Mack Brown, Elliot Nugent, David Manners, and Richard Barthelmess) who drift aimlessly through Europe after World War I. They drink a lot, party a lot, apparently to forget the horrors of war, although the story never really explores this in any depth. There is a strange girl (Helen Chandler) who acts and talks as if she was from another planet. For whatever reason, she befriends the men and takes a liking to Richard Barthlemess' character. Some of the acting is far from great, and the dialogue at times is unnatural sounding, although many films of the early talkies suffer from this. I will say one thing about this film; it does have movement, something unusual in these early days of sound, as the recording equipment was cumbersome and difficult to deal with. Other than that, I see little point to this film. I supposed it's to show us the way men bond who are in the military together. Too bad they couldn't do more with that, instead of just showing us four guys and a girl who drink and carry on. Interestingly, both Manners and Chandler would star in another -- and far superior -- film in 1931: "Dracula."

"They Won't Forget" released in 1937, is a hard-hitting look at prejudice and North versus South politics. A young student in a business school (Lana Turner, in her first role) is killed. Fingers soon point to her school teacher from up North (Edward Norris). Whether or not he is guilty seems not to matter to the residents of this small southern town. Claude Rains has a stellar role here as the prosecutor you love to hate, a man who has high political ambitions and wants to bring a conviction no matter who has to to hang for it. Clearly there is nothing but circumstantial evidence against the teacher, something a lawyer (Otto Kruger) from New York points out. He comes to the southern town to defend the teacher, as the case has received national attention. A sleazy newspaper guy who is in league with the prosecutor makes certain the case stays in the headlines, leading to massive rumors and speculation about the man's guilt. This is not an uplifting movie, and I found myself getting outraged while watching it. But this is what Warner Brothers often did in the 1930's -- while MGM was focused on glitz and glamour, Warner's was down in the streets and bringing us great social commentary films like this one. And I think it is quite daring by 1937 standards. The performances are good ones. Rains has a tough time hiding his British accent, but he fascinates anyway. Norris is adequate as the school teacher, although he never had much of a career. Lana Turner was probably all of 16 or 17 here, and a real beauty, and we can already see glimpses of why she became the star she did.

"A Quiet Place in the Country (1969) is about an Italian painter who rents a villa that is haunted by the spirit of a young woman killed during WWII. Essentially, that is about it, as far as a plot for this film. Franco Nero plays the stereotypical image of a temperamental artist; arrogant and dismissive of others, his character is not exactly what one would call warm. The first part of the film is somewhat dull. Nero is shacked up with his lover (Vanessa Redgrave) who encourages his painting, although her motives seem to be more financial, his for the artistry. For whatever reason, he becomes obsessed with a run-down Italian villa and moves there. Nero is plagued by dreams about a young girl who lived in the village and was promiscuous with some of the males who still reside there. The film becomes more interesting as Nero tries to unravel the mystery of how the young woman died, who she was involved with -- and it begins to drive him into total madness. I won't give away the very bizarre ending, and I am not sure I could explain it myself! One positive here is the creepy atmosphere the director manages to set -- one can almost feel the spirit of the young woman throughout the villa. There are some very fascinating visuals throughout. All of that said, the plot is at times quite disjointed, full of holes and unanswered questions. Nero is fascinating to watch, and I confess I knew little of him as an actor. Vanessa Redgrave, always one of my favorites, is given little to do here. Her devotion to Nero's character seems to border on the pathological at times, and we get slight glimpses into their bizarre and -- I think -- unhealthy relationship. This is definitely not a film for everyone, but I found it interesting, despite its flaws.

"The Long Weekend" released in 2008, stars Jim Caviezel and Claudia Carvan as a married couple who get lost in the woods of Australia. That's about it for plot. Caviezel is a reckless character, his wife more cautious. Getting lost for the male character is no big deal here, he being of the arrogant and "WTF" attitude type. However, when Mother Nature begins to wreck havoc on the both of them, tensions mount between the couple. Their marriage is also on the rocks, for various reasons; she doesn't want sex for some reason or other, and he acts like a horny, insensitive frat boy. This film, while not horrible, isn't good either. The actors are good ones -- Caviezel is under-rated, to be sure, and I was not aware of Claudia Carvan, but she is fine. The real issue here is with the script and plot. It is full of holes and unanswered questions, and an ending that is fairly ridiculous. Caviezel, despite the problems, does give a game effort here. But -- when you have played Jesus to great applause and kudos, honestly, is there any role left for you to do that can top that?

"Winter Meeting" was released in 1948 -- the waning years of Bette Davis Warner Brothers career. Davis plays Susan, a wealthy, cosmopolitan New Yorker. She has never married, choosing to focus on a life of having a career and mixing with like-minded friends, such as Stacy (John Hoyt). She meets a military guy whom she calls Novak (Jim Davis), a man fresh from WWII and a war hero. For whatever reason, he woos her and the two begin an odd relationship. After all, she is New York City all the way, he is an awkward, small-town guy. The two escape to the country, where both are forced to confront their own demons. Davis' demons have to do with her parents; her mother abandoned her father, causing his later suicide. Novak's are he always wanted to be a priest! Yikes -- this after leading Susan on throughout the entire movie. This movie, although unfairly maligned, has lots of problems. The biggest problem is the choice of Jim Davis to play Novak, the war hero. He seems out of place and acts it too. Being fair, his part is also terribly written, so I don't know what actor could have pulled this off with any credibility. Bette Davis fares better -- she never steps out of her character as Susan, a woman who has shut herself off from even the possibility of love until she meets this man. This part shows why Bette Davis was a real star; the script wasn't great, and it shows, but she shines regardless. There are two good supporting performances -- John Hoyt as Davis' friend, a man who clearly enjoys the good life, is terrific and adds some life to a film that drags a bit at times. We assume he is gay, although obviously this wouldn't be uttered in a 1948 film. A young Janis Paige plays a somewhat loose and bitchy woman, upset that the spinster Susan snared the war hero for herself. She seems to steal every scene she is in. Sadly, this film flopped when it opened. By this time, audience tastes had changed, and Bette Davis wasn't given better scripts as she aged at the studio. She would leave Warner Brothers the following year. But what a legacy of films she left behind.

Rumor had it that Vivien Leigh was not anxious to take on the remake of "Anna Karenina" partly because she had just recovered from tuberculosis, and maybe also because the ghost of Greta Garbo was too real. But she had one film left to do for Alexander Korda, and this was it. "Anna Karenina" released in 1948, stars Leigh as the tragic Anna. The story is based on Tolstoy's novel. Anna meets a handsome colonel, Count Vronsky (Kieron Moore) and falls in love with him. The trouble is, she is married to a high-level Russian bureaucrat (Ralph Richardson) and has a son. Anna's husband is a self-absorbed politician type, somewhat cold and aloof, consumed with his image in Russian politics. He sees marriage as a "duty" something he says a few times. Anna runs away with Vronksy, a horrendous scandal at the time and probably still would be today. It all ends tragically. Comparisons between this film and the 1935 one are inevitable. While both films are respectable, I prefer Viven Leigh's performance of Anna. Perhaps it was because Leigh had her own personal demons that she made this part so amazingly real, as she would in "A Streetcar named Desire" three years later. While I admire Garbo, I did not think of her as a great actress. Too aloof in some ways to believe she would fall head over heels for Vronsky. Ralph Richardson plays his part with consummate discipline; he can only see Anna's betrayal in terms of how it effects him. Kieron Moore is harder to judge. In the first part of the movie, he isn't given much to do except show off his good looks. He does, however, get a few good scenes as the movie progresses, and plays Vronksy as a decent man but also a flawed one. If you only know the 1935 version of this film, at least be open-minded enough to give this remake a chance. For me, Viven Leigh was reason enough for me to see it.

"He Walked by Night" released in 1948, is an excellent suspense drama. The film is set in Los Angeles, which is interesting considering so many of the crime dramas of this era are usually set in New York. Richard Basehart plays a sociopath who kills a police officer when he stops him on the street for suspicious behavior. Basehart is also an electronics genius, and he can hear radio police calls in his home. He also manages to elude the police for months -- this man is no ordinary criminal. He is smart, alert, and a complete loner. Detectives Scott Brady and Roy Roberts are the two actors who take the lead in tracking Basehart down. The film takes us into the streets of Los Angeles (population 2 million in 1948!) and in underground storm water tunnels, which Basehart cleverly uses for his get-aways from cops. This film is reportedly based on a true story about a killer who eluded cops for months and terrorized the city in 1947. The actors who play the cops are good ones, but it is Richard Basehart who is the real star of the film. He plays his part brilliantly -- he doesn't hit a false note. Basehart had the looks and talent to be a major player in Hollywood, but he never really became a big star. What a shame.

"Side Street" released in 1950, is an excellent thriller from director Anthony Mann. Farley Granger plays an average working guy who hauls around a mail-bag to make a living. While delivering mail one day, he picks up some money lying around in an office -- well, actually be breaks into the file drawer to get it. Thinking he has only taken a small amount of money, it turns out to be several hundred thousand. This sets off a wild chain of events, with Granger conflicted about what to do. The money is tempting, as his wife (Cathy O'Donnell) is in the hospital having a baby. However, Granger doesn't realize who the money belongs to. The film gets quite complicated and edgy, with murder and a spectacular car chase thrown in at the end. The New York City locations are great fun to watch, and the wonderful black and white cinematography has Anthony Mann's stamp all over it. There are some fine supporting performances, notably from James Craig, playing a ruthless thug, and Jean Hagen has a great part as a boozy bar singer. Cathy O'Donnell isn't given much to do here except look worried. However, this is Farley Granger's show, and he does not disappoint. It's a shame Granger never got the recognition he deserved. Perhaps he just wasn't offered more great parts or maybe he was too good-looking to be taken seriously. Either way, this is a fine film, a true example of the noir films coming out of Hollywood in the late 1940's and early 1950's.

"Strangers May Kiss" was made in 1931, still the early days of sound films. The film stars Norma Shearer as a free-spirited woman who falls for a traveling journalist, played be Neil Hamilton. The film is certainly racy (for the time) in its frankness about issues like pre-marital sex and promiscuity. The Hays Code, while in existence, was largely ignored by studios until 1934. The story basically is that Shearer falls for Hamilton, knowing that he isn't the sort that wants to marry or be tied down. His career comes first, and that takes him all over the world. She agrees to the arrangement, but of course falls madly in love with him anyway. The two do travel some, but Hamilton deserts her (after telling her he is married!). Shearer embarks on a whirlwind of the good life, with lavish parties and lots of men, all in the attempt to forget Hamilton. She did the same thing in "The Divorcée" made just the year before, the film that earned her an Oscar. The film also stars a young Robert Montgomery, as a playboy with a penchant for drink and Shearer. He adds some much needed comic relief at times to a film that is somewhat heavy and drags at times. Hamilton isn't given much to do here, except play the bad guy. The script is somewhat lacking, but the real star of the show is Shearer. She traipses through the film in lavish costumes, various hairstyles, and plays a free soul at a time when not many women did so on-screen. While the film has some similarities to "The Divorcée" (woman loves man, loses man, embarks on affairs) it is not quite up to the standard of that earlier film. Still, it's always a delight to see Mrs. Irving Thalberg on-screen in her heyday. Love Shearer or not, the woman had tremendous screen presence.

I just happened to catch this version of "Marie Antointette," made in 2006, on the Sundance Channel one evening. Being a fan of Sofia Coppola ("Virgin Suicides" "Lost in Translation") I got engrossed in it. Kirsten Dunst plays the ill-fated queen, and she seems to look the part both in age and femininity. The period costumes are great, and Dunst wears them well, along with the occasional outrageous hairstyles. That is about as far as it goes: Dunst's performance is completely lacking in any substance, and I did not believe I was viewing a queen from another century, just a modern-day actress playing make believe. Everyone knows the basic story: teen-ager Marie marries Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman, an odd casting choice). Louis seems to have little interest in Marie sexually -- today we would likely say he is gay, but probably at that time he was just considered socially awkward, although he does seem to cavort with a lot of pretty male friends. Anyway, they do eventually manage to have kids. Marie seems to find an outlet from her somewhat cold and distant husband in an odd assortment of friends, all as materialistic as she. She also has an affair, etc. In looking at this film, the obvious comparison to the 1938 version of "Marie Antoinette" with Norma Shearer and Robert Morley has to be made. While certainly the older film is superior in many ways -- although one has to consider its historical accuracy not 100%, but better than this one. And while Shearer was certainly a superior actress to Dunst, she was also way too old for the part. The original film also dragged out the imprisonment and death of Marie Antointette way too long; this one just shows Marie -- who sticks by her husband all the way through the overthrow -- riding off to face certain death. Mercifully, we are spared the gory details. This film is what it is: a showpiece for great costumes, breath-taking scenery, and a soundtrack that is clearly aimed at the under-30 crowd. I liked it, but I didn't take it seriously.

"The Damned Don't Cry" released in 1950, stars Joan Crawford in the type of film she was famous for throughout much of her 'second' career at Warner Brothers. Crawford plays Ethel Whitehead, a working-class mother married to a loser. She stays with him because of their son; the son is then tragically killed, and Ethel leaves her dumbell husband and her parents behind. Ethel get hired as a "model," one who is also expected to entertain the male clientele. There she meets a dull but honest accountant, Martin (Kent Smith). He loves her and wants to marry her, but Ethel has her eyes on a new man, a handsome -- and dangerous --wealthy hotshot named George (David Brian). He introduces her to a world of riches beyond her wildest dreams, but at a price. The film gets involved and complicated, with George wanting Ethel (who has now changed her name to Lorna!) to seduce his rival, Nick, (Steve Cochran) to gain access to all his connections and secrets. The film has some implausible situations, to say the least. Crawford, at age 45, was a tad bit too old for the role, although she looks great. The character of slimeball Nick (Cochran) has wealth built on ruthlessness. He is obviously a good 12 - 15 years younger than Crawford, and his immediately falling for her seems a stretch, considering he could likely have any woman he wanted. Nevertheless, this is Crawford's show, and she does not disappoint, although the script is somewhat routine of movies of that era. The supporting players are fine in their respective roles. David Brian and Steve Cochran play their roles with all the appropriate sleaze required of them. Kent Smith, playing a milquetoast, turns out to be the real deal: his love for Ethel, in the end, does not waiver.