Friday, March 31, 2017

THE APRIL SHOWERS BLOGATHON: Shane (1953)



MovieMovieBlogBlog is hosting The April Showers blogathon running from March 31st to April 2nd. Filmmakers have used rain to great effect in motion pictures since beginning of the art form. Click HERE to read about some of the most memorable scenes and films.

The title character of George Stevens' 1953 classic Shane, based on Jack Schaefer's novella, is a weary gunfighter running from his past. When he rides into a valley beset by conflict between old-time rancher Ryker and the farmers settling into the valley, Shane experiences a life he seeks, but can never obtain.  Shane's outsider status is most evident one rainy night at the Starrett homestead.

Joe Starrett, his wife Marian, and their boy Joey have accepted Shane into their family. He is a friend and a co-worker to Joe. For young Joey, Shane is an object of childish admiration. For Marian, he reminds her that she is more than a wife and mother.

Shane is cautious around the folks of the valley. He does not want his past as a gunfighter to be known. His forbearance when facing opposing forces from the Ryker ranch while in town has made a less than an approving impression on many of the farmers.



The homesteaders have braved a rainstorm to meet at Starrett's place to discuss their troubles with Ryker. The small cabin creates a cozy atmosphere with the sound of the rain falling on the roof and the sight of the rain through the window.



A sopping Shane enters. The look on his face shows a relaxed happiness at his inclusion.



Shane is put on the spot as the tale of his backing down from Ryker's men while at the general store is recounted.


Despite Joe's urging Shane to remain, the gunfighter leaves the meeting.

Shane:  "I figured you could talk freer if I weren't around."



The rain falls on Shane as he passes Joey's room where Marian has been reading him a bedtime story. A simple, homely scene that further highlights the loneliness of Shane's existence.



Marian and Joey speak to Shane through the window. 

Joey: "I know you ain't afraid."
Shane: "It's a long story, Joey."
Marian: "I think we know ... Shane, don't stand in the rain. You'll catch your death of cold."



The story of Shane is encapsulated in Marian's final words of the night to her son, and to herself.

Marian:  "Don't get to liking Shane too much."
Joey:  "Why not?"
Marian:  "I don't want you to."
Joey:  "Is there anything wrong with him?"
Marian:  "No."
Joey:  "Then what, mother?"
Marian:  "He'll be moving on one day, Joey. You'll be upset if you get to liking him too much."

The rain continues to fall.










Thursday, March 30, 2017

THE JACK LEMMON BLOGATHON: Avanti! (1972)


The good folks who bring us Critica Retro and Wide Screen World are hosting The Jack Lemmon Blogathon on March 30th and 31st. Thank you to Le and Rich for the opportunity.  Day 1  Day 2

Sabrina Fair was a Broadway hit for playwright Samuel Taylor in 1953 starring Margaret Sullavan and Joseph Cotten. In 1954 Taylor collaborated with Billy Wilder and Ernest Lehman on the Oscar nominated screenplay for the film adaption, Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.

A scant 18 years later, Wilder took a flyer on another Taylor play, this time collaborating with I.A.L. Diamond on a film version of a less successful play mounted during the 1968 Broadway season called Avanti! aka A Touch of Spring.

Avanti! is romantic, caustic, satirical, screwball and a travelogue. The travelogue is courtesy of the location shooting on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. The screwball aspects are courtesy of the outrageous characters and sight gags. The satirical cannot be withheld from a Wilder picture and here we poke fun at American business, American politicians, class conscious sensibilities and funerals.



Juliet Mills as Pamela Piggott

The romantic is courtesy of Miss Pamela Piggott of London. She has come to a beautiful resort for the unhappy task of escorting her mother's remains back home after a fatal car accident. Soft-hearted and open to her surroundings, Pamela gets swept up in the beauty around her and the vibrations of a love affair.



Jack Lemmon as Wendell Armbruster Jr.

The caustic is courtesy of Wendell Armbruster Jr. of Baltimore. Vice President of Armbruster Industries and son of that company's founder, Wendell has come to a beautiful resort for the unhappy task of escorting his father's remains back home after a fatal car accident. On top of the loss, Wendell is feeling imposed upon and that feeling is about to double and redouble during his time in Italy.

Wendell's conception of his father's life is about to take a sudden and wild left-hand turn. Armbruster Sr. has not been making trips to this health resort for the last decade purely for its healing mud baths. Armbruster Sr. was spending each summer with his lover, Miss Piggott's mother.



Wendell: You can dig up a couple of coffins.
Carlucci: You want second-hand coffins?

Pamela is not faced with shock such as that which faces Wendell. She knew all about "Willy and Kate", as the lovebirds referred to each other. Sad as she is at the loss, Pamela finds comfort in the idea that the couple were with each other at the end and suggests they should remain that way by being buried here in Italy. After all, the red tape is so cumbersome.

Wendell is aghast. His father may have been a philanderer, but that philanderer will be buried in three days time in Baltimore with high ranking politicians in attendance and plants all over the country shut down so employees can see the funeral on closed-circuit television, in color! Except for Puerto Rico. They get black and white.



Clive Revill as Carlo Carlucci

I love the shot above where Jack Lemmon's face is hidden by the flower display. It sends me into fits of giggles as the director of the hotel, Carlo Carlucci is explaining to Wendell that the bodies (both of them) have disappeared from the morgue. The owners of the vineyard desecrated by the car accident require compensation. It is a well-known Italian saying that if there is death in the vineyard, the wine will be sour. No checks. No American money. They want German francs. You can't argue with aggrieved vintners.



Pamela tries the green pasta "for colour".

Above, Pamela throws caution to the wind and dives into a dish of pasta. A running gag in the screenplay is that Pamela (all 133 lbs of her) constantly obsesses about her weight. Even other people obsess about her weight. It is silly. Juliet Mills is gorgeous. Nonetheless, there it is. We don't always see ourselves as others see us.

Management and staff at the hotel were very fond of "Willy and Kate" and are sentimentally pleased when Wendell and Pamela, in their parents clothes, come to dinner to enjoy the food and the music. Wendell is beginning to understand this secret life his father enjoyed.



Wendell: Miss Piggot, please keep in mind that it's Sunday and this is a Catholic country!

Early the next morning, after wine and liquor she was not used to, Pamela gets Wendell to follow another tradition of their parents. A naked swim in the clear waters followed by sun bathing on the rocks. Wendell is not as comfortable as Pamela in this activity. However, he is just as photogenic.

Bruno, the hotel valet, has a camera. He has pictures of "Willy and Kate" in the all-together and now he has pictures of Wendell and Pamela to make a complete set. Bruno wants something from Wendell. Bruno wants to return to the United States from which he was deported. He wants to get away from the Sicilian maid who is expecting his child. Bruno really should know better than to cross a pregnant Sicilian woman.



Wendell: Permesso?
Pamela: Avanti.

Complications, misunderstandings and character growth lead to ... well, it leads to what we've been expecting since this story began. Should they? Shouldn't they? Maybe there are lessons here to be learned from the past. Maybe it simply says something about the present.



You will not believe what has just happened in this scene.

Confusion ensues when the State Department, in the form of an old chum played by Edward Andrews gets involved. Pronouncements on the Middle East, disdain for foreigners and a general bluster accompany Andrews character's bulldozing his way into the hotel and into the middle of Wendell's affairs.

At 140 mintues, Avanti! is longer than I usually like my comedies.  However, Avanti! does not drag; it has instead a deliberate and leisurely pace. Funny and endearing incidents pull the audience into the situations and reactions from funny and touching characters. Laugh-out-loud moments abound in the wry dialogue and the amusing sight gags. All the while we learn to care for our leads.

Jack Lemmon's role in Avanti! is responsible for one of the six Golden Globe wins out of 20 nominations that he received in his film career. Juliet Mills and Clive Revill were nominated in the Actress and Supporting Actor (Musical or Comedy) categories. The film was also nominated for Best Screenplay and for Best Picture.

I find Avanti! one of the true comedy gems of its time, a hidden treasure in Billy Wilder's deep filmography and a joyful part of his work with his favourite actor, and ours, Jack Lemmon.







Monday, March 27, 2017

EARLY WOMEN FILMMAKERS BLOGATHON: Dorothy Arzner and Merrily We Go to Hell (1932)



Fritzi of Movies Silently is hosting the Early Women Filmmakers Blogathon sponsored by the Flicker Alley release Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology. The blogathon is running from March 27th to 29th and you can click HERE for the contributions.



Meet Joan Prentice (Sylvia Sidney). She's the sweet and somewhat sheltered daughter of a wealthy manufacturer who has succumbed to Cupid's ironic marksmanship.



Jerry's favourite toast, "Merrily we go to Hell".

And meet Jerry Corbett (Fredric March), the object of Joan's affection. He's a newspaperman who writes plays on the side. He is going to give up drinking next Tuesday afternoon at three o'clock.



The happy couple.

Everybody knows Joan is too good for Jerry. Joan, deep down inside senses it, but she loves the guy. Her love is strong enough to convince her doubting father (George Irving) that he will gain nothing by standing in the way of the marriage. Jerry is running from his drinking habit and the memory of the actress Claire Hempstead (Adrianne Allen) who broke his heart. Joan is his cure.



Esther Howard and Skeets Gallagher as Vi and Buck

The marriage begins well with Jerry off the wagon and sticking to his plays despite the number of early rejections. Joan is the perfect companion and inspiration. Pals Buck (Skeets Gallagher) and Vi (Esther Howard) are steadfast, clear-eyed and endeavour to help keep things on an even keel. When Jerry's satirical romantic comedy is picked up by a Broadway producer the world belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Corbett.



Back in Claire's web with a drink in his hand.
Adrianne Allen as Claire Hempstead

Enter stage right, the star of Jerry's play, his old flame Claire Hempstead. As if on cue, Jerry once again has a drink in his hand and a tormented heart. The night of the successful opening a showdown between Mr. and Mrs. Corbett finds Jerry beating a path to the perfidious Claire. In a moment of misplaced assertiveness Joan decides theirs will be a "modern" marriage.



Joan parties with a young actor playing a young actor, Cary Grant.
Joan's toast, "Gentlemen, I give you the holy state of matrimony - modern style. Single lives, twin beds and triple bromides in the morning."

Joan takes to the drinking and party scene like she was born to it. Who are we kidding? She's heartsick over Jerry, but keeps up the pretense because once started on this path she finds no way to stop. There's an age-old issue that usually comes, sooner or later, to young wives. It is not merely the thick atmosphere of smoke at a penthouse party that leaves Joan feeling ill, and a doctor confirms her  delicate condition.



Home at last.

Unable to get Jerry to listen to her news, Joan leaves him and returns to her father in Chicago. At least he always loved her. Jerry has never said those words. Months (nine) apart have forced Jerry to take a long look at what he has done with his life and to Joan's. He is back at his old Chicago newspaper job and back on the wagon. Joan's months have passed differently and, we learn, with great difficulty. Her father tries to keep Jerry from her, but Joan's love is steadfast.



Dorothy Arzner
(1897 - 1979)

The insightful and involving screenplay by Edwin Justus Mayer is based on a novel called I Jerry, Take You Joan by Cleo Lucas. The 1932 Paramount release was directed by Dorothy Arzner. Dorothy Arzner appears to have the ability to see her films as a whole which rely on all of its components to tell the story properly. As a viewer, there is a sense that hers is a sure hand that knows where to guide our movie watching experience.

In the framing of her actors in close-ups to highlight emotional scenes, I see a respect for her stars and an appreciation of the dialogue. There is a lovely dissolve when Joan has been disappointed by Jerry, but the determination on her face fades to wedding bells indicating the character's state of mind as well as the passage of time and events.

Women were important and established founders and members of the early film industry, handling creative and administrative chores both behind and on the screen. In the period following the First World War young Dorothy Arzner made her way into that industry first as a typist for William De Mille, then a story synopsis writer. Her eye was on the prize of directing and she was given the opportunity at Paramount to move into editing and assistant director. Mentored by James Cruze on The Covered Wagon her skills were recognized and her opportunity arrived.

Success with features began for Ms. Arzner at the end of the silent era and continued into that of sound. Our picture, Merrily We Go to Hell, would be her final picture made at Paramount. Apparently, it was a salary dispute that caused the parting of the ways. The following year at RKO she would direct Christopher Strong starring Katharine Hepburn and the year after, Nana for Samuel Goldwyn's European import Anna Sten. In 1936 Rosalind Russell would star in Arzner's Craig's Wife based on George Kelly's play.

A turn at MGM would yield The Last of Mrs. Cheyney and The Bride Wore Red starring Joan Crawford. Back at RKO in 1940 would bring the interesting Dance, Girl, Dance with Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball. Her final credited feature is the wartime suspense drama First Comes Courage for Columbia starring Merle Oberon.

During a time when women were cut out of their rightful place in the film industry, we are lucky to have Dorothy Arzner's output to enjoy and to study. We are fortunate also in the fact that she passed on her knowledge and skill to future generations of film professionals as a teacher at the Pasadena Playhouse and UCLA. Dorothy Arzner led an inspiring career during a time when the difficulties in doing so are only beginning to be surmounted now in the 21st century.












Friday, March 24, 2017

THE 3rd ANNUAL FAVOURITE TV SHOW EPISODE BLOGATHON: Wagon Train, Little Girl Lost (1964)



It is a happy time of year, time for the 3rd Annual Favourite Television Episode Blogathon hosted by Terence Towles Canote of A Shroud of Thoughts. Click HERE for the journey into the best of Classic TV.

My choice this year is the Wagon Train episode Little Girl Lost from that venerable series' final season. The program aired on Sunday, December 13, 1964.



Robert Fuller, John McIntire, Terry Wilson
Michael Burns, Frank McGrath
WAGON TRAIN CAST, FINAL SEASON

Wagon Train came into my life upside down and higgledy-piggledy through the television syndication market. The first episodes I watched were the colour, 90 minute programs of the 7th season (1963-1964). Jerome Moross' theme, originally used in the film The Jayhawkers (imagine my surprise when I saw that movie for the first time!) made its way straight to my heart where it lingers to this day. More surprises were in store when I learned there was an earlier theme that was fun to sing by Sammy Fain and Jack Brooks, recorded by Johnny O'Neill. Here's a version by series star Robert Horton.

Frank McGrath as cook Charlie Wooster and Terry Wilson as scout Bill Hawks were the only cast members in all eight seasons of Wagon Train from 1957 to 1965. Ward Bond as Major Seth Adams and Robert Horton as scout Flint McCullough originally led the westbound wagon train. With time came the passing of Ward Bond, the addition of John McIntire as wagon master Chris Hale and Denny Miller as scout Duke Shannon. Still later we would have Robert Fuller as scout Cooper Smith and Michael Burns as "adopted" youngster Barnaby West.

The series ran on NBC from 1957 to 1962 and was picked up by ABC through to 1965. ABC tinkered with the format switching to the popular expanded colour episodes and then back to the black and white 60 minute format before declining ratings saw the end of its prime time run.

284 episodes of Wagon Train were produced, written and directed by the best talent in the business including Howard Christie, Thomas Thompson and Tay Garnett. Impressive guest starts from Barbara Stanwyck to Sessue Hayakawa to Lou Costello performed in stories of high comedy, epic drama and intense character studies. And then there is Little Girl Lost written by Leonard Praskins and directed by Virgil W. Vogel.



Eileen Baral as Robin

Little Girl Lost is first distinguished by its title. The majority of titles for the episodes are The "Main Character or Location" Story. Secondly, every other episode is grounded in the reality of the show's setting while Little Girl Lost is a genuine ghost story. Robin Mercy Rossiter, played by Eileen Baral, is truly a lost soul. The six-year-old was a member of the doomed Donner party, a wagon train trapped by blizzards in a mountain pass in 1846.

Spirituality or faith is often a theme in westerns as characters believe or hope that a higher power will support them in their trials and endeavours. As James Whitmore remarked in The Gabe Carswell Story, "A man has to speak to God even if he's simply talking to himself".

Several nights have passed with members of the Chris Hale wagon train losing sleep due to a young girl crying. Assuming illness or sadness, the source of the sound has not been discovered. Scouts from another train have even approached asking if a child is missing because they have heard the crying as well.



Michael Burns, Frank McGrath

One evening camp cook Charlie Wooster sees a girl outside the circle up crying and asking for help. Charlie kindly offers help, but the child disappears. The girl was also seen by teenager Barnaby and both he and Charlie are startled by how cold it feels in the spot where they had seen the girl. The unusual circumstances convince Charlie that the sighting should be kept a secret. Often the butt of jokes, Charlie does not want to take the chance of being ridiculed.



John Doucette as Boone Gilla

During a further encounter, also witnessed by Barnaby, Charlie bonds with Robin and gains more details about her background. The names she mentioned meant nothing to Charlie so he asks about them among the crew and passengers. Boone Gilla, played by John Doucette, is a teller of tall tales who amuses the children. One true fact of his earlier years is that he survived the Donner tragedy. Boone is able to provide Charlie with the details about Robin's life, and her death.

Realizing that Robin does not understand that she is dead, Charlie feels an obligation to help her find her way. As the train nears the Donner Pass, Charlie rides ahead in a last ditch effort to free the wandering spirit.  He reaches the gravesite as described by Boone and finds Robin.



Frank McGrath, Eileen Baral

Charlie:  Robin, if you're mad at me please don't be. I only want to help.

Robin:  Mommy, Mommy. (sobbing)

Charlie:  Robin, dear.

Robin:  My Mommy is dead. Mrs. Glover said she - she didn't have enough to eat.

Charlie:  Why don't you go to her, dear?

Robin:  I do. Every day. Where they put her in the ground.

Charlie:  I mean join her where she is now.

Robin:  I can't. I told you. She's dead.

Charlie:  So are you, Robin.

Robin:  No!

Charlie:  You have been, honey, for a long, long time.

Robin:  You're a bad man to say that.

Charlie:  You died at the Glovers.

Robin:  I'm not dead. Being dead is awful.

Charlie:  Only for awful people, and maybe not not even for them. But surely not for a dear little girl like you. You were frightened. Maybe that's why you couldn't find your way. There's nothing to be afraid of and that's a good thing to know. Robin, honey, show me where they laid your mama to rest. Show me, dear.

Dying is a natural thing you know. Don't worry about it. It's like sleeping or growing. What's to be afraid of? Who's afraid of getting bigger or going to sleep. Sometimes I think being born is a kind of dying. You know, you die there and live here. When you're through here you go back there. I don't know whether these things are true or not. I'm an old man. Some people say I'm a little cracked in the head. But, Robin, I know one thing. There's a God in Heaven and He's not going to give his children a bad deal. He can't. He's our Father so He's got to love us.

Robin:  What are you looking for? Charlie is digging around the graves.

Charlie:  Well, you might say a sign - to show you the comfort you've missed all these years because you've been wanting to go.

Robin:  I'm cold. I'm going to the Glovers. I don't want to stay here with you.

Charlie:  Wait, Robin. Please. It's gotta be here somewhere. If Boone lied to me... Robin, dear, you said you could read.  Charlie finds the gravestone.

Robin:  Robin Mercy Rossiter. 1840 - 1846.  It's me.

Charlie:  Yes, darling. The comfort you've missed all this time is waiting for you.

A bright light envelopes the place where they are sitting.

Robin turns toward the light and smiles:  Mommy.




Little Girl Lost is a charming and unique Wagon Train episode and a lovely showcase for one of the show's two longest running stars, Frank McGrath.










Wednesday, March 15, 2017

VISITING PARIS WITH INSPECTOR CHAN: Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) and City in Darkness (1939)


"Many strange crimes committed in the sewers of Paris."

Paris, the city of light, is the scene of dark crimes which require that master of deduction, Inspector Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police Department. Earl Derr Biggers' creation is an international sensation after his dramatic solving of the Stable Murder Case (Charlie Chan in London, 1934) and his arrival in Paris does not go unnoticed by the criminal element he has been sent to unmask.


A warning to get out of Paris.
Warner Oland

Inspector Chan was not the only one becoming an international sensation. Since 1931s Charlie Chan Carries On, Warner Oland had been playing Charlie Chan and this was his sixth outing as the great detective. His popularity among film fans increased with each outing until he was known and revered the world over.


Together again - for the first time.
Keye Luke, Warner Oland

Charlie's confederate in the search for a gang of bond counterfeiters, a beautiful Apache dancer named Nardi played by Dorothy Appleby, is murdered before revealing the results of her undercover work. The nefarious gang can try to cover their tracks, but Chan is on the case. Actually, two Chans are on the case as this is the film that introduced the world to number one son Lee as played by Keye Luke. What a brilliant idea and what marvelous casting for the series!


Convivial company for a night on the town.
Mary Brian, Warner Oland, Thomas Beck
Ruth Peterson, Erik Rhodes

Charlie's entry into the world of finance is arranged through an old friend's son played by Thomas Beck (Charlie Chan in Egypt, Charlie Chan at the Race Track, Charlie Chan at the Opera). The young man's fiance is played by pretty Mary Brian, whose career went from playing Wendy in 1922s Peter Pan to TV mom in the 1950s to Corliss Archer. The daughter of a bank owner, this character will get mixed up in the murder of a bank executive. A playboy friend of the couple played by Erik Rhodes is an obnoxious drunk with a talent for sketching. Surely we couldn't suspect him of any wrongdoing.


Detectives do dinner.
Warner Oland, Minor Watson

"Optimist only sees donut. Pessimist sees hole."

Charlie's old friend Inspector Renard played by Minor Watson is willing to listen to any input Chan may have on the current investigations, but he is a skeptical sort. A policeman in a strange city may need others to open closed doors. Is Charlie being as good a friend as he can be when he withholds information?

Charlie Chan in Paris is based on a story by Philip MacDonald, the British novelist whose screenplays include The Body Snatcher (Hugo winner), The Lost Patrol, Rebecca, Bride of Frankenstein, Sahara, The Princess Comes Across and 23 Paces to Baker Street. He also wrote the earlier Charlie Chan in London which launched the character into his international phase.


You go where the clues take you.
Thomas Beck, Warner Oland

This was one of the Chan that films that were "lost" for many years with a print discovered in the 1970s. There is a story we may never know about the making of this movie as Hamilton MacFadden, who directed The Black Camel, Charlie Chan Carries On, Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (the last two also lost) began directing with cinematographer Daniel B. Clark (The Black Camel, Charlie Chan in Egypt, ...at the Circus, ...at the Olympics, ...at Monte Carlo). The pair was replaced after only one week's shooting. The movie was completed by Lewis Seiler (The Winning Team, Guadalcanal Diary) and cinematographer Ernest Palmer, Oscar winner for Blood and Sand, in their only contribution to the series.

Charlie Chan in Paris has a fine, just-intricate-enough plot and delicious atmosphere in the dark streets and noirish nightclubs. Plausible red herrings abound in a cast of sterling character actors including Henry Kolker, Murray Kinnell, John Miljan, and (yes, that's him!) John Qualen.



NOTE: Gino Corrado as a waiter.




"A wise man once said, "Beware of spider who invites fly into parlour".

Twentieth Century Fox was not ready to lose the profitable Chan series when Warner Oland passed away in 1937. Sidney Toler, at age 65, stepped into the shoes previously filled by the popular Oland. Certainly an unenviable task, but one the veteran actor handled successfully. The Toler films brought Chan into the next decade with poise and a sense of modernity that was just enough to reboot the series in a way to please old fans and gain new ones.

Created in the 1920s by Earl Derr Biggers and fostered on-screen during the 1930s, the first great film Chan was an old school gentleman who, for the most part, dealt with crimes and criminals in the manner of the Golden Age of detective fiction as created by Christie, Sayers and the like. The real-life friendship between Oland and screen son Keye Luke added a gentle warmth to their scenes within the films.


Comrades from the Great War.
Sidney Toler and C. Henry Gordon lead the group.

Chan moved into the 1940s as a spry and more overtly sarcastic character; a professional who would brook no nonsense. Keye Luke was unwilling to continue in the series with another actor so talented Victor Sen Yung was cast as number 2 son, Jimmy Chan. Here too was a more modern second-generation youngster with Sen Yung giving his all in comic support.

City in Darkness was Toler's fourth release as Chan. The first, Charlie Chan in Honolulu introduced the character on his home turf and about to become a grandfather. The second took him to the mainland in Charlie Chan in Reno in a terrific movie that could easily be paired with The Women for a great movie night. Next up is one of the greatest of Chan features, Charlie Chan on Treasure Island. In our film, Toler's Chan makes his first foray to the continent to reunite with friends from WWI and watch as the world again spins toward disaster. Germany is itching for a fight and Paris is preparing with gas masks and blackouts.


Aha! Marcel sees it all.
Harold Huber

Sen Yung is not in this film as Jimmy. The timeline suggests he may have been busy giving his outstanding performance in William Wyler's The Letter. Comic support is herein provided by Harold Huber as Marcel Spivak, a police trainee eager to please. Huber literally throws himself into the unaccustomed comic relief duties as a character that comes off like Inspector Clouseau's grandfather.


Our hero is in trouble.
Leo G. Carroll, Sidney Toler, Lon Chaney Jr.

Charlie is inadvertently involved in the murder case which, it will be discovered, is connected to spies and illegal munitions. A new type of criminal has crossed the border. There are passport counterfeiters, blackmailers, housebreakers, and profiteers. How does it all fit together?


A couple caught in a web of lies.
Lynn Bari, Richard Clarke

"Truth is only path out of tangled web."

Our good inspector is also in mortal danger from the likes of Leo G. Carroll and Lon Chaney Jr.  The elegant Pedro de Cordoba is a proud veteran of the Great War. Douglass Dumbrille a wealthy ladies man. C. Henry Gordon a harried police official. Lynn Bari is a desperate woman, Dorothy Tree a spy and Noel Madison a shady operative.


A man of many explanations.
Pedro de Cordoba

This entry was directed by Herbert I. Leed, a studio editor turned director who had a nice hand with keeping the pace up and the characters interesting in B movies. Check out his Michael Shayne pictures Blue, White and PerfectThe Man Who Wouldn't Die, and Just Off Broadway. You'll wonder why he wasn't given another Chan assignment. The screenplay by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan was the eighth of nine Chan scripts from the then married pair starting with Charlie Chan in Egypt through to Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise.

War was coming. The world knew it and the movies knew it. Like Sherlock Holmes over at Universal, Charlie Chan would find spies and war profiteers in his sphere more often as the series and its popularity continued.



NOTE: Gino Corrado as a tavern keeper.












Friday, March 10, 2017

FAVOURITE MOVIES: A Run for Your Money (1949)



I recently revisited A Run for Your Money after many years. It was with some trepidation that I approached this movie as I was sharing it with my daughter, Janet. Would it be as delightful as remembered? It was, and my memory was unusually accurate for such a long absence.

In the post-WW2 period Ealing Studios embarked on a number of comedies which were incredibly successful. I believe Passport to Pimlico, Whisky Galore!, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Titfield Thunderbolt and The Man in the White Suit can wear the banner of legendary. The screenplay for A Run for Your Money is by Richard Hughes (A High Wind in Jamaica), Leslie Norman (The Shiralee) and the director of our film, Charles Frend (Scott of the Antarctic).



Julie Milton, Donald Houston, Meredith Edwards

Dai #9 (there apparently being a dearth of names popular with Welsh parents) played by Donald Houston (Doctor in the House) and his brother Twm played by Meredith Edwards (The Blue Lamp) have won glory. The miners have cut more coal in the past month than any other workers in the country and will be honoured by the newspaper The Echo with 200 pounds, tickets to the Wales vs England rugger match at Twickenham, and the aforementioned glory.

Armed with the well wishes of their co-workers, the manager's bowler hat and a warning from Dai's girlfriend to behave and have a good time, they are off on the train to London with no instructions on how or where to receive their prize.



Alec Guinness, Meredith Edwards, Hugh Griffith

It will suit the reporter tasked with accompanying the glory laden miners if he never were to meet these lads. Mr. Whimple, the self-proclaimed "gardening correspondent" for The Echo played by Alec Guinness (The Ladykillers) much prefers vegetables to people. Nonetheless, a human interest piece must be written up. It means his job. First, he must locate the errant winners.



Moira Lister, Joyce Grenfell, Donald Houston

A professional con woman whose speciality is separating rubes from their cash, played by Moira Lister (Abandon Ship), first separates Dai from Twm, and from the manager's hat. She steers him to  the office of The Echo where the money is obtained. Meanwhile, Twm has found his old pal Huw played by Hugh Griffith (Ben-Hur), a much admired harpist down on his luck. Huw easily convinces Twm to help him retrieve his harp from a pawnbroker and even more easily persuades him to drop into a pub or two for a quick one, or two, or three.

Ah, the adventures these boys have in the big city. Sadly (all bow our heads), none of these adventures involve attending the match at Twickenham Stadium. There's song and drink, and villains and chases in this movie. There's slyly humourous dialogue and pratfalls. There's even a Joyce Grenfell sighting for those into that sort of thing. I can say with confidence that A Run for Your Money remains the very definition of "charming", and Janet agrees.










PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SAUSALITO SUNRISE

Terence Towles Canote at A Shroud of Thoughts is hosting The 8th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon . The popular blogathon is runn...