1.213 avaliação
I scored this film an average mark because I wanted to know the story and Peter Finch as the Sheriff of Nottingham was very good as the villain of the piece. However, set against this is a rather short and fat Robin Hood as played by Richard Todd and this is not what I expected. We also have to endure a tedious songsmith interrupting with stupid singing throughout the film. Get him off my screen, now!
So, watch it for the story but don't expect anything great. The cast - James Hayter as Friar Tuck, Martita Hunt as the King's mother and James Robertson Justice as Little John - all do well. A point to note is that Robertson Justice doesn't shout his way through the film which makes him likeable in this one.
I wish the cast had stuck to the name of Robin Hood during the film. I'm not interested in someone called Robin Fitzooth! It is an irrelevant name to everyone. He is Robin Hood and kindly call him by his legendary status. This is of particular importance to me as my grandmother's name was Nessie Hood and she came from that part of the world so I like to think of myself as related to Robin Hood. Not this Robin Fitzooth rubbish! She may also have been related to the Loch Ness Monster so they better not go changing that name to Lochie instead of Nessie!
So, watch it for the story but don't expect anything great. The cast - James Hayter as Friar Tuck, Martita Hunt as the King's mother and James Robertson Justice as Little John - all do well. A point to note is that Robertson Justice doesn't shout his way through the film which makes him likeable in this one.
I wish the cast had stuck to the name of Robin Hood during the film. I'm not interested in someone called Robin Fitzooth! It is an irrelevant name to everyone. He is Robin Hood and kindly call him by his legendary status. This is of particular importance to me as my grandmother's name was Nessie Hood and she came from that part of the world so I like to think of myself as related to Robin Hood. Not this Robin Fitzooth rubbish! She may also have been related to the Loch Ness Monster so they better not go changing that name to Lochie instead of Nessie!
Yep. Well, that's Bob Hope for you.
In this film, he stars as the son of a wealthy hero who returns to the town where his father had a legendary status. However, his dad departed the world leaving all the townsfolk in debt and cursing him. Now that Bob Hope has returned, they all expect to be paid off as he inherits his father's fortune. I'm sure you've heard the standard response when someone asks if you have any chance or hope in a tight situation, you respond that they have 2 options - No Hope and Bob Hope. This town actually gets Bob Hope!
Leader of the outlaws Jane Russell (The Torch) is the best in the cast but why is she given a man's name? However, most of the film has Bob Hope centre-stage and so it flags as his quips don't always hit the mark. And his interruptions in the songs are agonizingly painful. Shut up, Bob Hope!
Son of Paleface, the Idiot Son.
In this film, he stars as the son of a wealthy hero who returns to the town where his father had a legendary status. However, his dad departed the world leaving all the townsfolk in debt and cursing him. Now that Bob Hope has returned, they all expect to be paid off as he inherits his father's fortune. I'm sure you've heard the standard response when someone asks if you have any chance or hope in a tight situation, you respond that they have 2 options - No Hope and Bob Hope. This town actually gets Bob Hope!
Leader of the outlaws Jane Russell (The Torch) is the best in the cast but why is she given a man's name? However, most of the film has Bob Hope centre-stage and so it flags as his quips don't always hit the mark. And his interruptions in the songs are agonizingly painful. Shut up, Bob Hope!
Son of Paleface, the Idiot Son.
For some reason, way too many people get driven to distraction by Simone Signoret (Mary) in this film. Just find yourself another girl. It can't be that difficult!
There is a gang of wrong 'uns led by Claude Dauphin (Felix) who operate inside Paris and carpenter Serge Reggiani (Manda) crosses them when he falls for Signoret. Gang member William Sabatier (Roland) already sees Signoret as his girl whilst Dauphin thinks the same for himself. Everyone is out to get one another for this coveted prize.
Well, nobody is particularly likeable in this film so how can it be good? That's the simple truth of the matter. The audience can't possibly care about any of the characters involved so you just watch to see how the story plays out. And then it ends. It's a French film, so, of course, it has a downbeat ending. We just don't care, though.
There is a gang of wrong 'uns led by Claude Dauphin (Felix) who operate inside Paris and carpenter Serge Reggiani (Manda) crosses them when he falls for Signoret. Gang member William Sabatier (Roland) already sees Signoret as his girl whilst Dauphin thinks the same for himself. Everyone is out to get one another for this coveted prize.
Well, nobody is particularly likeable in this film so how can it be good? That's the simple truth of the matter. The audience can't possibly care about any of the characters involved so you just watch to see how the story plays out. And then it ends. It's a French film, so, of course, it has a downbeat ending. We just don't care, though.
Acclaimed writer James Robertson Justice (Jonathan) writes a 12-part serial to be broadcast on the good old BBC. One episode a week. Seems like he is writing something about a murder and let me guess, maybe his final episode will reveal the identity of the killer and who is responsible. Well, yes, that is what this film is about and at the end of the film, you get to see who the killer is.
Cor blimey! This is a relatively short film but you wouldn't think it. The story is complicated and terribly acted with that awful British diction. Most people bark out their lines with no actual human sentiment behind them. You just cannot relate to these people.
"Fah fah fah!"
"Fah fah fah!"
"Fah fah fah fah..."
It just goes on like that. Absolute nonsense.
Cor blimey! This is a relatively short film but you wouldn't think it. The story is complicated and terribly acted with that awful British diction. Most people bark out their lines with no actual human sentiment behind them. You just cannot relate to these people.
"Fah fah fah!"
"Fah fah fah!"
"Fah fah fah fah..."
It just goes on like that. Absolute nonsense.
Tyrone Power (Mike) is a diplomatic courier in the world of espionage and is tasked with collecting a document from his contact James Millican (Sam) who is travelling on a train to Salzburg. However, things don't work out and he ends up in Trieste involved in some complicated shenanigans.
The film is a little complicated at times and there are segments where you wish that the story would progress a little quicker. Do we really have to listen to all that dialogue from Hildegard Knef (Janine)? The answer is "No". Get on with the film! The film has a good cast but I expected more from them. Still, things improve as the film progresses and you will end up suspecting everyone at various points. But that is the point of these spy films. Widowed Patricia Neal (Joan) turns up at the beginning of the film and coincidentally keeps appearing throughout the film. Make of that what you will. She also talks in that awful affected manner like Katharine Hepburn. Not necessary.
Still, the film is ok.
The film is a little complicated at times and there are segments where you wish that the story would progress a little quicker. Do we really have to listen to all that dialogue from Hildegard Knef (Janine)? The answer is "No". Get on with the film! The film has a good cast but I expected more from them. Still, things improve as the film progresses and you will end up suspecting everyone at various points. But that is the point of these spy films. Widowed Patricia Neal (Joan) turns up at the beginning of the film and coincidentally keeps appearing throughout the film. Make of that what you will. She also talks in that awful affected manner like Katharine Hepburn. Not necessary.
Still, the film is ok.
Clifton Webb (Dreamboat) is an old-school teacher with an iron-heart and a focus on education and he has unfortunately raised his daughter Anne Francis (Carol) to be an equally intellectual snob in life. Well, his world gets rocked by old-time actress Ginger Rogers (Gloria) who starts to show her films that co-star our fuddy-duddy schoolteacher Webb on her TV channel. These old silent black-and-white films threaten his position as an educator as they are poorly acted and portray him as a sex symbol. He is annoyed and makes plans to sue.
Well, it could have been funnier. And it should have been funnier. Also, the transformation for Francis from bookworm to glamour-puss should have been highlighted more effectively. She looks the same - a museum type! Rogers should have been given a tap dance number. The acting is ok but court cases are never interesting and the whole thing is pretty unbelievable.
By the way, there is nothing wrong with a museum type girl. Unless it involves some kind of niche madness, eg, a key museum. I watched a TV programme last night that involved somebody who was obsessed with collecting keys.
There just seems to be something lacking with this film. Perhaps a visit to a key museum was needed.
Well, it could have been funnier. And it should have been funnier. Also, the transformation for Francis from bookworm to glamour-puss should have been highlighted more effectively. She looks the same - a museum type! Rogers should have been given a tap dance number. The acting is ok but court cases are never interesting and the whole thing is pretty unbelievable.
By the way, there is nothing wrong with a museum type girl. Unless it involves some kind of niche madness, eg, a key museum. I watched a TV programme last night that involved somebody who was obsessed with collecting keys.
There just seems to be something lacking with this film. Perhaps a visit to a key museum was needed.
What a load of rubbish.
Singer Betty Hutton (Blossom) goes around singing songs and finds a love interest in the very bland piano playing Ralph Meeker (Benny). That's it.
There is no story of any interest and there are no songs of any interest. In fact, I couldn't watch it all.
I sat through the film for an hour before fast forwarding to the end in case there were any good outfits to see. In the bit I fast-forwarded through, there was a blackface number so if that is your thing, stick around and enjoy. Up to that point, the only redeeming moments in the film were some of the costumes and Jeni Le Gon who plays a maid and sings and dances in one of Hutton's numbers. That is where the film scores the 2 points that I have given it.
I guess you have to be a Betty Hutton fan for this.
Singer Betty Hutton (Blossom) goes around singing songs and finds a love interest in the very bland piano playing Ralph Meeker (Benny). That's it.
There is no story of any interest and there are no songs of any interest. In fact, I couldn't watch it all.
I sat through the film for an hour before fast forwarding to the end in case there were any good outfits to see. In the bit I fast-forwarded through, there was a blackface number so if that is your thing, stick around and enjoy. Up to that point, the only redeeming moments in the film were some of the costumes and Jeni Le Gon who plays a maid and sings and dances in one of Hutton's numbers. That is where the film scores the 2 points that I have given it.
I guess you have to be a Betty Hutton fan for this.
If not, get yourself down to the film's Lonely Hearts Dance coz that is the prize to be won in the draw. They still aren't on the market all these years later.
Newspaper boss Broderick Crawford (Mark) is a no-nonsense character who understands what type of stories sell newspapers. He is a success and under his watch, reading figures go exponential. Well, during the course of this film, we watch as he becomes the headline story once Rosemary DeCamp (Charlotte) turns up at a Lonely Hearts Dance. Young hot-shot reporter John Derek (Steve) is relentlessly on the case of any murder that turns up and we have some that need solving.
Unfortunately, John Derek is thoroughly unlikeable as the good guy who we are meant to identify with. I just don't. So, the film loses marks for his character. I ended up sympathizing with Crawford in the game of cat-and-mouse that unravels during the film. Derek also has a love interest in Donna Reed (Julie) to whom he doesn't show any interest. By the end of the film, it became obvious to me that he is gay.
Newspaper boss Broderick Crawford (Mark) is a no-nonsense character who understands what type of stories sell newspapers. He is a success and under his watch, reading figures go exponential. Well, during the course of this film, we watch as he becomes the headline story once Rosemary DeCamp (Charlotte) turns up at a Lonely Hearts Dance. Young hot-shot reporter John Derek (Steve) is relentlessly on the case of any murder that turns up and we have some that need solving.
Unfortunately, John Derek is thoroughly unlikeable as the good guy who we are meant to identify with. I just don't. So, the film loses marks for his character. I ended up sympathizing with Crawford in the game of cat-and-mouse that unravels during the film. Derek also has a love interest in Donna Reed (Julie) to whom he doesn't show any interest. By the end of the film, it became obvious to me that he is gay.
Richard Greene (Beckett) attends a hunting party held by evil Count Stephen McNally (von Bruno) in order to avenge the death of his two friends at the hands of his host at the Black Castle.
The film starts with two coffins being sealed before going into flashback to tell the story of these two unfortunate souls. The ending has a kind of Romeo and Juliet feel to it and the film takes place in a creepy setting at the heart of which is a sadistic maniac. Our good guys take a massive risk just before the film's ending and it leaves us with some memorable imagery.
It is well acted and filmed with interesting locations at the castle and has a story that keeps you watching as well as a romantic angle that doesn't get soppy at any point, thank goodness. An entertaining horror, but a soft horror with nothing too unpalatable to watch. It's more of a gothic thriller/atmospheric horror.
When is a leopard not a leopard? Answer - when it is a black panther. What was all that about!
The film starts with two coffins being sealed before going into flashback to tell the story of these two unfortunate souls. The ending has a kind of Romeo and Juliet feel to it and the film takes place in a creepy setting at the heart of which is a sadistic maniac. Our good guys take a massive risk just before the film's ending and it leaves us with some memorable imagery.
It is well acted and filmed with interesting locations at the castle and has a story that keeps you watching as well as a romantic angle that doesn't get soppy at any point, thank goodness. An entertaining horror, but a soft horror with nothing too unpalatable to watch. It's more of a gothic thriller/atmospheric horror.
When is a leopard not a leopard? Answer - when it is a black panther. What was all that about!
Preston Foster plays the mastermind who plans a bank heist and recruits his team separately from one another. He insists that everyone must wear a mask at all times so that nobody can identify anyone else. Innocent John Payne (Joe) is falsely accused of the robbery and once he is released, he makes it his mission to track down who is responsible for framing him.
The film follows the pattern of stakeout, recruitment and robbery in the first section. We then follow Payne's storyline and we end up in a small Mexican town waiting for everyone to reveal themselves to one another and share out the loot. You just sense that there is something a bit tricky about mastermind Foster.
This is an intense film with absolutely zero jolly bits in it and many fight sequences. That loses a mark for me. It also doesn't make much sense. But that's ok as the story carries you along with the action. The female roles are purely incidental which is a shame and I think that there should have been more made of the mask-wearing in the second half of the film once in Mexico. They were creepy masks.
My friend once put on a balaclava mask to nick a bottle of wine from an off-licence. It was so obviously him, though, especially as he had just been refused the sale about five minutes earlier. He left the shop, put on the mask and returned to nick it. And he is really tall! However, I'm not sure that he had a bottle opener.
The film follows the pattern of stakeout, recruitment and robbery in the first section. We then follow Payne's storyline and we end up in a small Mexican town waiting for everyone to reveal themselves to one another and share out the loot. You just sense that there is something a bit tricky about mastermind Foster.
This is an intense film with absolutely zero jolly bits in it and many fight sequences. That loses a mark for me. It also doesn't make much sense. But that's ok as the story carries you along with the action. The female roles are purely incidental which is a shame and I think that there should have been more made of the mask-wearing in the second half of the film once in Mexico. They were creepy masks.
My friend once put on a balaclava mask to nick a bottle of wine from an off-licence. It was so obviously him, though, especially as he had just been refused the sale about five minutes earlier. He left the shop, put on the mask and returned to nick it. And he is really tall! However, I'm not sure that he had a bottle opener.
Ship captain Rock Hudson (Panama) makes his living by delivering his cargos to various ports. On the first night in each port, he likes to take out his crew to a lively bar for some rowdy entertainment. He is streetwise and likes a brawl. This film has 3 bar-room brawls. Too many if you ask me. He comes across escort Yvonne De Carlo (Roxy) at the "Scarlet Angel" bar who tries to fleece him and they end up bumping into widow Bodil Miller (Linda) and her baby. Circumstances transpire so that De Carlo goes on the run and ends up posing as the baby's mother in order to trick her way into a wealthy family. Big Rock is having none of this behaviour.
I was unsure where the film was going at first as there are several paths it could have taken. Once the baby is introduced, I was dreading a sappy film about bringing up a baby. Thank goodness the film pivots its focus to follow De Carlo's deception which brings tension to the proceedings in this easy-to-watch film.
Hudson and De Carlo work well together and the rest of the cast also do well, especially the suspicious cousin Amanda Blake (Susan) who suspects that De Carlo isn't who she claims to be. The technicolour has faded so that the vibrant colours are more of a pale shade but it is always a treat and the costumes are good. We get some humour thrown in and the film is more of a feelgood comedy drama than an action/adventure film.
Time for some wine. Real wine!
I was unsure where the film was going at first as there are several paths it could have taken. Once the baby is introduced, I was dreading a sappy film about bringing up a baby. Thank goodness the film pivots its focus to follow De Carlo's deception which brings tension to the proceedings in this easy-to-watch film.
Hudson and De Carlo work well together and the rest of the cast also do well, especially the suspicious cousin Amanda Blake (Susan) who suspects that De Carlo isn't who she claims to be. The technicolour has faded so that the vibrant colours are more of a pale shade but it is always a treat and the costumes are good. We get some humour thrown in and the film is more of a feelgood comedy drama than an action/adventure film.
Time for some wine. Real wine!
We follow a group of fire-fighters as they tackle a blaze in the mountain forests of Montana. The team is led by Richard Widmark (Cliff) and contains an older guy on his last job - Joe Sawyer (Pop). Prior to this mission, we have focused on the fact that Sawyer carries an identity bracelet and spend a disproportionate amount of time with him as we listen to talk of his family life and watch as he undergoes horseplay with his adult son Jeffrey Hunter (who is stationed at the same headquarters and does a similar job). Off he goes on the mission. Do we think he is going to make it? Ha ha. We are told that he isn't from a mile off! No spoiler there at all. The rest of the film follows the dynamic between Hunter and Widmark as Widmark needs to prove that he was not responsible for Sawyer's death.
The story scores points for the different setting and there is some drama and useful information regarding fire-fighting in these conditions. Unfortunately, outside of Widmark, the cast are pretty awful. Hunter is just thoroughly unpleasant whilst the female roles are atrociously saccharine and make you want to vomit. There was no point at all in having Constance Smith (Peg) in the film. Her dreadful attempt at an Irish accent also adds to the irritation as does the films false camaraderie with everyone smiling and back-patting at the end. How about fire chief Richard Boone's comical throaty voice yelling through a loud speaker from a plane!
Still, the film is ok as you watch it despite some annoying moments and it is educational.
I now know what to do if caught in a wild fire. You basically get out your shovel, dig a hole in a clearing, douse yourself in water, put a fire blanket over yourself and then wait for the fire to pass over you. Alternatively, you can get into the cracks of a rockfall and again, wait for the fire to pass over you. You need to find a rockfall for this method, though.
The story scores points for the different setting and there is some drama and useful information regarding fire-fighting in these conditions. Unfortunately, outside of Widmark, the cast are pretty awful. Hunter is just thoroughly unpleasant whilst the female roles are atrociously saccharine and make you want to vomit. There was no point at all in having Constance Smith (Peg) in the film. Her dreadful attempt at an Irish accent also adds to the irritation as does the films false camaraderie with everyone smiling and back-patting at the end. How about fire chief Richard Boone's comical throaty voice yelling through a loud speaker from a plane!
Still, the film is ok as you watch it despite some annoying moments and it is educational.
I now know what to do if caught in a wild fire. You basically get out your shovel, dig a hole in a clearing, douse yourself in water, put a fire blanket over yourself and then wait for the fire to pass over you. Alternatively, you can get into the cracks of a rockfall and again, wait for the fire to pass over you. You need to find a rockfall for this method, though.
A group of undesirable townsfolk are expelled from the town of Poker Flats in this Western. Where should they go? They get caught up in a storm and take shelter in a remote cabin. They have little food and their horses run off. The icing on the cake comes with the arrival of murderous robber Cameron Mitchell (Ryker). And he's got a gun.
It's all very predictable stuff and not that interesting a film. We have a good guy in gambler Dale Robertson (John) and I wonder who will win in the obvious impending showdown between the good guy and the bad guy? Robertson does miss a few obvious chances to get the upper hand which any viewer would have jumped at taking.
One question that arises out of this film is why would anyone choose to settle in Poker Flats when the next town along is called Beaver Town?
It's all very predictable stuff and not that interesting a film. We have a good guy in gambler Dale Robertson (John) and I wonder who will win in the obvious impending showdown between the good guy and the bad guy? Robertson does miss a few obvious chances to get the upper hand which any viewer would have jumped at taking.
One question that arises out of this film is why would anyone choose to settle in Poker Flats when the next town along is called Beaver Town?
Queen Gladys Cooper (Anne) is at the end of her life. She needs to prevent her daughter Princess Nancy Gates (Henriette) from marrying the powerful Duke Robert Douglas (de Lavalle) and hence relinquishing power to this ambitious bad guy on her death. Her plan is to summon her old friends the three musketeers to her aide so that they may accompany the young Prince Peter Miles (Louis XIV) from his hiding place and take his place on the throne once she has died. Douglas wants to know this secret hiding place so that he can kill the Prince. Once married to the Princess, he will have total control. Queen Cooper sends out messengers to alert the musketeers and it is their children who respond and come to the rescue.
It is interesting and funny at first as not all the children are men. One is a woman - Maureen O'Hara (Claire) - the daughter of Athos. Still, she is handy with a sword. The costumes in this film are also good to look at.
Unfortunately, the film is rather boring. The characters aren't very interesting and the story is dull. There is also a ghastly false male camaraderie with never ending joking and smiling. Groan! We also get ludicrous fight sequences where the musketeers always win whatever fight they are in against overwhelmingly larger numbers. And usually with smiles on their faces. Groan! The film comes across as unrealistic and just full of buffoonery. Not what I wanted.
It is interesting and funny at first as not all the children are men. One is a woman - Maureen O'Hara (Claire) - the daughter of Athos. Still, she is handy with a sword. The costumes in this film are also good to look at.
Unfortunately, the film is rather boring. The characters aren't very interesting and the story is dull. There is also a ghastly false male camaraderie with never ending joking and smiling. Groan! We also get ludicrous fight sequences where the musketeers always win whatever fight they are in against overwhelmingly larger numbers. And usually with smiles on their faces. Groan! The film comes across as unrealistic and just full of buffoonery. Not what I wanted.
Yep, that's what the Virgin Mary told three young children. Good call.
This film is regrettably a bit boring. The story depicts a true-life encounter that 3 children had in a remote Portuguese village called Fatima. The Virgin Mary appeared to them several times and many pilgrims attended the regular monthly sightings culminating in the deliverance of a miracle in October 1917, witnessed by thousands. Read up about it. It's fascinating and should be more widely known.
There is a bit too much crying by the children for my liking and the religious aspect is very much in the forefront. Hail Mary and all that. It keeps you watching but there is something lacking. What happens next?
What happens next for me is that I leave the UK, where Keir Starmer is proving that a Human Rights lawyer is the worst possible candidate to be a Prime Minister, and I'm relocating to Portugal! However, it's the Algarve for me rather than a remote religious lifestyle. There may well be a God and I am open to any kind of Virgin Mary vision so I'll keep my eyes peeled and my spirit tuned in.
This film is regrettably a bit boring. The story depicts a true-life encounter that 3 children had in a remote Portuguese village called Fatima. The Virgin Mary appeared to them several times and many pilgrims attended the regular monthly sightings culminating in the deliverance of a miracle in October 1917, witnessed by thousands. Read up about it. It's fascinating and should be more widely known.
There is a bit too much crying by the children for my liking and the religious aspect is very much in the forefront. Hail Mary and all that. It keeps you watching but there is something lacking. What happens next?
What happens next for me is that I leave the UK, where Keir Starmer is proving that a Human Rights lawyer is the worst possible candidate to be a Prime Minister, and I'm relocating to Portugal! However, it's the Algarve for me rather than a remote religious lifestyle. There may well be a God and I am open to any kind of Virgin Mary vision so I'll keep my eyes peeled and my spirit tuned in.
This phrase is repeated throughout the film. It's quite funny. Some archaeologists dig up a site and come across the 300-year-old grave of a witch with a stake in her body to pin her down to the swampy terrain. They pull out the stake and.....uh oh........guess what? Trouble. That's what.
Mirja Mane (Brigit) appears naked in the grave of a witch one stormy night and is taken to the local mansion house to shelter and recover. She's a witch, folks!
The trouble with this film is that it is silly rather than scary. It's not scary at all. And that is what I want when I watch a film about a witch. "The White Reindeer" is a better Finnish film about a witch from the same year (1952).
The film has novelty value and is ok for a watch once. It can get a bit confusing at the end but you get the general gist of it.
If you meet a witch, and you will have given that all women are witches, just remember that it is no dream and you need to deal with the reality.
Mirja Mane (Brigit) appears naked in the grave of a witch one stormy night and is taken to the local mansion house to shelter and recover. She's a witch, folks!
The trouble with this film is that it is silly rather than scary. It's not scary at all. And that is what I want when I watch a film about a witch. "The White Reindeer" is a better Finnish film about a witch from the same year (1952).
The film has novelty value and is ok for a watch once. It can get a bit confusing at the end but you get the general gist of it.
If you meet a witch, and you will have given that all women are witches, just remember that it is no dream and you need to deal with the reality.
We follow the three stages of the life of French convicted thief Michael Rennie (Jean) in the late 1700s/early 1800s. He is a galley slave in the first stage where we encounter the very rigidly-minded Robert Newton (Javert) as a figure of authority on the ships.
The second stage deals with Rennie's release as he forges ahead with a successful business and becomes mayor of a small town. It is here that he first meets a street-walker Sylvia Sidney (Fantine) who has a seven-year-old daughter who he vows to take care of. However, he is living his life under an assumed name and has failed to report to the authorities each month as per his release conditions. He is a wanted man. Uh-oh! Newton turns up in his town as the chief of police and has suspicions.
The third stage is spent with Rennie on the run and Newton in pursuit as the seven-year-old girl is now Debra Paget (Cosette) with a lover of her own which complicates matters.
Rennie is ok but I found him a little weird. He's sort of a bit nasty and stupid at the beginning and then a bit pervy in his thoughts towards Paget. She calls him 'daddy' as he has been her guardian yet he desires her. This makes him unlikable. He also makes outstandingly stupid decisions throughout the course of the film which loses it marks. I cannot relate. Newton is the best character as the jobsworth who must obey the law, even at the expense of his own father. No room for humanity. He is what cranks up the tension levels in this film.
Edmund Gwenn (Courbet) plays a kind-hearted priest and gets the choice quote in the film. When Rennie is kneeling before him, and Gwenn is about to bless him, Rennie says that he is not a religious man. Without a moment's hesitation, Gwenn replies "Not many of us are" as he fixes Rennie's head in a downward prayer position. Ha ha.
The second stage deals with Rennie's release as he forges ahead with a successful business and becomes mayor of a small town. It is here that he first meets a street-walker Sylvia Sidney (Fantine) who has a seven-year-old daughter who he vows to take care of. However, he is living his life under an assumed name and has failed to report to the authorities each month as per his release conditions. He is a wanted man. Uh-oh! Newton turns up in his town as the chief of police and has suspicions.
The third stage is spent with Rennie on the run and Newton in pursuit as the seven-year-old girl is now Debra Paget (Cosette) with a lover of her own which complicates matters.
Rennie is ok but I found him a little weird. He's sort of a bit nasty and stupid at the beginning and then a bit pervy in his thoughts towards Paget. She calls him 'daddy' as he has been her guardian yet he desires her. This makes him unlikable. He also makes outstandingly stupid decisions throughout the course of the film which loses it marks. I cannot relate. Newton is the best character as the jobsworth who must obey the law, even at the expense of his own father. No room for humanity. He is what cranks up the tension levels in this film.
Edmund Gwenn (Courbet) plays a kind-hearted priest and gets the choice quote in the film. When Rennie is kneeling before him, and Gwenn is about to bless him, Rennie says that he is not a religious man. Without a moment's hesitation, Gwenn replies "Not many of us are" as he fixes Rennie's head in a downward prayer position. Ha ha.
There are some great tips in this film courtesy of MM on what to do when you get a babysitter job for a few hours. Of course, you should dress up in the hostess's clothes and wear her jewellery. Then you should invite a stranger around with some alcohol. And of course, don't forget the child..... This film gives some great ideas for the child part of babysitting.
Pilot Richard Widmark (Jed) has flown to stay at a hotel where his ex-girlfriend Anne Bancroft (Lyn) is currently singing. He doesn't want to split up with her. At the same hotel, Marilyn Monroe (Nell) has been handed a babysitting job for a couple of hours by her uncle who is the lift operator Elisha Cook Jr (Eddie) at the hotel. He has arranged for her to look after the apartment and mind a child - Donna Corcoran (Bunny) - for a few hours while the parents attend a gala evening. Well, I reckon he's gonna get the sack. Ha ha!
It's an interesting cast with some great songs thanks to the intonation and style of song. Women singing in a low vocal register is always a good sound. Bancroft doesn't have much to do but you are fully entertained in the company of Widmark, Monroe & Elisha and how they all interact.
Watch and learn.
Pilot Richard Widmark (Jed) has flown to stay at a hotel where his ex-girlfriend Anne Bancroft (Lyn) is currently singing. He doesn't want to split up with her. At the same hotel, Marilyn Monroe (Nell) has been handed a babysitting job for a couple of hours by her uncle who is the lift operator Elisha Cook Jr (Eddie) at the hotel. He has arranged for her to look after the apartment and mind a child - Donna Corcoran (Bunny) - for a few hours while the parents attend a gala evening. Well, I reckon he's gonna get the sack. Ha ha!
It's an interesting cast with some great songs thanks to the intonation and style of song. Women singing in a low vocal register is always a good sound. Bancroft doesn't have much to do but you are fully entertained in the company of Widmark, Monroe & Elisha and how they all interact.
Watch and learn.
Wayne Morris (Mike) is a pilot who provides a service on the US side of the arctic zone to those northernmost communities. However, stray a little too far and he could venture into the Russian zone. If this happens, he is dead. Morris is a cautious pilot and does not risk deviation from his flight route. School teacher Lola Albright (Martha) and polar bear hunter Alan Hale Jr (Wetherby) both use his services in this film. You know that something will go wrong but what...?
The film has a good setting amongst the remote Eskimo settlements and it is interesting to note that people live in these places. It also has cool places to go - they have a bar! It advertises itself as a cocktail bar but realistically, you can only get whiskey. And the film's highlight occurs at this bar when we see the Eskimos partying. And it's authentic. They all sit around singing the same rhythm whilst a few of them get up on the dancefloor and cut some shapes. What you are watching is an Eskimo rave - check out the moves. All without jukebox music - they make their own.
The film trucks along but there is a lack of excitement. It is a spy story and whilst the cast do ok, Albright is a horrible character. She put me off the film and certainly doesn't invest you in the boy/girl romance that she is involved in. We also get some gratuitous fighting in scenes that should be over in seconds but are strung out unrealistically.
It's an ok film. I'm glad I've seen it but don't intend to watch it again. A better film that is set amongst Innuit communities in the Arctic is 'The White Reindeer' from the same year. It's a Finnish film and involves the supernatural.
The film has a good setting amongst the remote Eskimo settlements and it is interesting to note that people live in these places. It also has cool places to go - they have a bar! It advertises itself as a cocktail bar but realistically, you can only get whiskey. And the film's highlight occurs at this bar when we see the Eskimos partying. And it's authentic. They all sit around singing the same rhythm whilst a few of them get up on the dancefloor and cut some shapes. What you are watching is an Eskimo rave - check out the moves. All without jukebox music - they make their own.
The film trucks along but there is a lack of excitement. It is a spy story and whilst the cast do ok, Albright is a horrible character. She put me off the film and certainly doesn't invest you in the boy/girl romance that she is involved in. We also get some gratuitous fighting in scenes that should be over in seconds but are strung out unrealistically.
It's an ok film. I'm glad I've seen it but don't intend to watch it again. A better film that is set amongst Innuit communities in the Arctic is 'The White Reindeer' from the same year. It's a Finnish film and involves the supernatural.
Mirjami Kuosmanen (Pirita) is a witch who marries reindeer-herder Kalervo Nissila (Aslak) in a Sami community in Lapland. Nissila is often absent and Kuosmanen gets lonely. After visiting a shaman, she goes through a ritual that will make her more attractive to her husband as well as to every other herdsman. However, she is already a witch and the combination of these events allows her to shapeshift into a white reindeer every night, where she lures men to follow her. Not a good move for any herdsmen who take up the chase....
This film has an interesting setting in the bleak snow forest in Finland amongst an indigenous community. We get a cool genre of film following the story of a vampire shapeshifting witch who wants love but is also deadly. Kuosmanen is good in the lead role and has the perfect look for the witch, especially when she is being evil.
If you come across a white reindeer, do not follow it!
In fact, there are loads of bad white things. If you come across white chocolate, do not eat it as it contains zero chocolate. The Ku Klux Clan dressed in white and Essex girls wear white stilletos.
This film has an interesting setting in the bleak snow forest in Finland amongst an indigenous community. We get a cool genre of film following the story of a vampire shapeshifting witch who wants love but is also deadly. Kuosmanen is good in the lead role and has the perfect look for the witch, especially when she is being evil.
If you come across a white reindeer, do not follow it!
In fact, there are loads of bad white things. If you come across white chocolate, do not eat it as it contains zero chocolate. The Ku Klux Clan dressed in white and Essex girls wear white stilletos.
Gary Merrill (Trask) bails out of his home on a rainy night and heads for the airport. He's leaving his family. Once there, we meet three characters who form a friendship with Merrill as their plane journey is delayed. However, poor conditions result in tragedy for the voyage and we get three crash survivors, one of whom is Merrill. He takes it upon himself to contact the widowed spouses of his three new-found friends to let them know the kindness he experienced from each individual. Hence, the title of the film.
We get our stories told in flashback by each spouse and we discover the problems within each marriage. This second part of the film now takes on some meaning as the first section seemed to be aimlessly meandering with drawn-out dialogue. All the talking in the first part now makes sense.
The film tackles the definition of love and highlights sacrifice, forgiveness and the notion that little white lies can also provide a benefit.
The cast are good (except the runaway kid) and Bette Davis is a standout. She almost made me cry with her story and her conclusion. I'm sure tears will be shed by many viewers at this point. That's down to the power of her delivery of dialogue. Shelley Winters (Binky) is also good and both these women churn out some funny lines as well.
It feels good being a non-success story. Power to all who fall into this category!
We get our stories told in flashback by each spouse and we discover the problems within each marriage. This second part of the film now takes on some meaning as the first section seemed to be aimlessly meandering with drawn-out dialogue. All the talking in the first part now makes sense.
The film tackles the definition of love and highlights sacrifice, forgiveness and the notion that little white lies can also provide a benefit.
The cast are good (except the runaway kid) and Bette Davis is a standout. She almost made me cry with her story and her conclusion. I'm sure tears will be shed by many viewers at this point. That's down to the power of her delivery of dialogue. Shelley Winters (Binky) is also good and both these women churn out some funny lines as well.
It feels good being a non-success story. Power to all who fall into this category!
At sea on a haunted boat sounds terrifying. Nowhere to go except overboard!
This isn't a scary film at all but it does have an interesting story and there are good segments, especially once paranormal expert Hugh Burden (Dr Fawcett) appears. He has a good scene explaining sound vibrations with his collection of tuning forks. Did you know that a sound pitch inaudible to the human ear can be heard by drinking a glass of water which acts as a conductor for the sound. This is fascinating stuff! Once medium Mignon O'Doherty turns up we get to the crux of the story as things unravel.
Unfortunately, the story takes a while to get going and more use should have been made of general spookiness. We needed some scares and more ghostly shenanigans. The film lacked that spooky atmosphere and ended rather abruptly. Still, it is an ok film - a ghost story that isn't scary but is still an interesting watch.
This isn't a scary film at all but it does have an interesting story and there are good segments, especially once paranormal expert Hugh Burden (Dr Fawcett) appears. He has a good scene explaining sound vibrations with his collection of tuning forks. Did you know that a sound pitch inaudible to the human ear can be heard by drinking a glass of water which acts as a conductor for the sound. This is fascinating stuff! Once medium Mignon O'Doherty turns up we get to the crux of the story as things unravel.
Unfortunately, the story takes a while to get going and more use should have been made of general spookiness. We needed some scares and more ghostly shenanigans. The film lacked that spooky atmosphere and ended rather abruptly. Still, it is an ok film - a ghost story that isn't scary but is still an interesting watch.
Four women wait for their men to come home so they can all celebrate together. Only one of them has the decency to suggest a change of clothes to put a skirt on! This is an outrage. A man needs to see his loving wife in a skirt for easy access, if you know what I mean. Anyway, these four women spend the film chatting - what a surprise - whilst the younger sister Gerd Andersson (Maj) of Maj-Britt Nilsson (Marta) has plans of her own.
The film is ok to watch although a little too long, a bit boring and slightly complicated as to who the male characters are. I didn't realize all the men discussed and seen in flashback stories are all brothers. So, if you understand that from the beginning, the film may not throw as much confusion at you when similar characters appear in the different flashback tales.
As for the women's flashback tales about loneliness and longing to be looked at, Anita Bjork's (Rakel) tale is the most compelling in terms of tension. Unfortunately, we then get an overlong section concerning Nilsson. Basically, she is pregnant and they stretch this point out for about 40 minutes or so. Riveting stuff! The next sequence involving Eva Dahlbeck (Karin) picks up and gets quite funny once she gets stuck in a lift with husband Gunnar Bjornstrand (Fredrik). He is quite cool and he looks like Jacob Rees-Mogg in his top hat. What do you think Swedish people get up to when stuck in a lift? Well, it's just not British - ha ha!
The solution to the women's stories that they share is very simple. They just need to understand that obedience and flattery are key to a successful relationship, which is pretty much what they conclude, no doubt to the annoyance of any feminists watching. And put on a skirt more often. It ain't rocket science.
The film is ok to watch although a little too long, a bit boring and slightly complicated as to who the male characters are. I didn't realize all the men discussed and seen in flashback stories are all brothers. So, if you understand that from the beginning, the film may not throw as much confusion at you when similar characters appear in the different flashback tales.
As for the women's flashback tales about loneliness and longing to be looked at, Anita Bjork's (Rakel) tale is the most compelling in terms of tension. Unfortunately, we then get an overlong section concerning Nilsson. Basically, she is pregnant and they stretch this point out for about 40 minutes or so. Riveting stuff! The next sequence involving Eva Dahlbeck (Karin) picks up and gets quite funny once she gets stuck in a lift with husband Gunnar Bjornstrand (Fredrik). He is quite cool and he looks like Jacob Rees-Mogg in his top hat. What do you think Swedish people get up to when stuck in a lift? Well, it's just not British - ha ha!
The solution to the women's stories that they share is very simple. They just need to understand that obedience and flattery are key to a successful relationship, which is pretty much what they conclude, no doubt to the annoyance of any feminists watching. And put on a skirt more often. It ain't rocket science.
Journalist Cesar Romero (O'Dell) spends some time at the beginning of the film mixing up a cocktail which firstly explodes before you can drink it. That along with the sequences of the 'lady in the fog' of the title at the wheel of her car are the only memorable parts to the film. What a shame.
This film could have been good if the story had stuck with mystery and tension. Unfortunately, being British, guess what? We get comedy oom-pah-pah music when showing scenes with policemen and also with a travel booking clerk. It's just so funny?! The cast are all forgettable in this nonsense that seems complicated because it fails to keep you engaged.
Romero's career must have been at rock bottom at this point. Thankfully, Batman was on the horizon for him in the next decade.
This film could have been good if the story had stuck with mystery and tension. Unfortunately, being British, guess what? We get comedy oom-pah-pah music when showing scenes with policemen and also with a travel booking clerk. It's just so funny?! The cast are all forgettable in this nonsense that seems complicated because it fails to keep you engaged.
Romero's career must have been at rock bottom at this point. Thankfully, Batman was on the horizon for him in the next decade.
Adam Williams (Carl) is a maniac who is driven to kill blonde women that remind him of a past relationship gone wrong. We follow the story as he carries out his urges to kill alongside the race to catch him led by detectives Edward Binn (Hamilton) and Harlan Warde (Warde). They need to act fast as Williams works to a monthly pattern.
This film keeps you gripped. We get location action as well as plenty of tension as Williams roams free to pick up his victims. Undercover blonde detective Marilee Phelps (Virginia) gets a memorable role which is quite funny when you realize that she is the real-life wife of Williams. I don't think she would have married him had she known!
The film also scores points for not showing anything gruesome. We know there are killings and that is good enough, thank you. If this film was made today, I suspect it would fall into the blood-fest horror genre. That is thankfully avoided as the film concentrates on story development and tension.
My wife is blonde...
This film keeps you gripped. We get location action as well as plenty of tension as Williams roams free to pick up his victims. Undercover blonde detective Marilee Phelps (Virginia) gets a memorable role which is quite funny when you realize that she is the real-life wife of Williams. I don't think she would have married him had she known!
The film also scores points for not showing anything gruesome. We know there are killings and that is good enough, thank you. If this film was made today, I suspect it would fall into the blood-fest horror genre. That is thankfully avoided as the film concentrates on story development and tension.
My wife is blonde...