femme_fatale5367

This is the kind of movie I used to watch when I spent Friday nights at my best friend's house and we stayed up all night eating junk food and watching monster movies on TV. Beverly Garland, queen of the 50's B flicks, is great as the worried wife and George Macready (later known as the tyrannical Mr. Peyton on Peyton Place) is doing his best with what he has to work with--hey, they were just working folks with bills to pay! All things considered, it's a cut above most of its genre. No surprises; the usual 50's post-bomb musings about playing God, cheesy costumes, and all that comes with this kind of story. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

This is a set I'd love to own. The costumes are great, and acting is even greater, especially Keith Michel. He brings real depth to Henry and we see him as the interesting, complex man that he was, not just the selfish, bloated glutton of his later years. The court intrigue and politics, and also the costumes are expertly presented and you get a real feel for the times. The only flaw was that the actresses were generally too old for the parts they played, but there aren't many young actresses of this caliber, so one has to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the show. If I had to choose the best performance of the wives, I'd choose Annette Crosbie as Catherine of Aragon.

I found this little gem in the library. It was part of a "Hollywood's Attic" collection and had no information on the case other than the title, but I decided to check it out and have a few laughs. When I saw the credits, I decided anything with George Raft couldn't be all bad and decided to watch it through. Even though he was middle aged at the time, Raft was true to form in his portrayal of the ex-con tough guy infiltrating a loan shark operation responsible for his brother-in-law's death. Nice acting by everyone, including a young Russell Johnson. Definitely not Oscar caliber, but worth it if you're a film noir fan.