AUGUST 13, 2015

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THE GREAT CARUSO (1951) Directed by Richard Thorpe ***

THE GREAT CARUSO is certainly no masterpiece but if you are a fan of its star, Mario Lanza, it is a must see. The film is a typical Hollywood hagiography about the life of Enrico Caruso. An example of just how Caruso's life has been airbrushed is the complete omission of his long affair with soprano Ada Giachetti and his four illegitimate children by her, but that's Hollywood for you - one only has to think of other Hollywood biopics of the same period such as NIGHT AND DAY(Cole Porter) and THE MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES (Lon Chaney).  Of course, MGM was more interested in getting Mario Lanza on the screen than it was in telling the story of Caruso.  That said, the singing is in good hands and Lanza is more than capable of doing the arias in the operatic scenes justice and Ann Blyth in what is essentially a non-singing role (just one song) is fine.  As usual Thorpe's direction is efficient but pedestrian. It's all about its star and his voice so if you are a fan you'll love it.  If not......well.

AUGUST 10, 2015

ALEXANDER THE GREAT (1956) Directed by Robert Rossen ***

No, not the Colin Farrell starrer of a few years back but a rather interesting version of the story by American director Robert Rossen filmed in 1956 with a mainly British and European cast (the main exception is Frederic March as Philip of Macedonia).  Not great by any means but very watchable with a nice script that compresses history more than it mangles it - the characters of Roxane and Barsine both appear here while many historians believe they were the same person and, as one might expect there is no hint of Alexander's bisexuality. Besides Burton, Claire Bloom and the aforementioned March there is Niall MacGinnis, Stanley Baker, Peter Wyngarde, Harry Andrews, Peter Cushing and Helmut Dantine (the latter's voice being dubbed by Christopher Lee).

AUGUST 9, 2015

NINOTCHKA (1939) Directed by Ernst Lubitsch ***

I start my second review in a row with a confession. I have never been won over by the charm of the films of Ernst Lubitsch. I'm sure that the fault is entirely mine but I suppose we all have blind spots.
On the other hand, like many others, I adore Greta Garbo, although I came to her films only a few years ago when a friend passed on an unwanted present to me - a box set of her famous films. I loved QUEEN CHRISTINA, MATA HARI, ANNA KARENINA and ANNA CHRISTIE - only NINOTCHKA was missing.  It has wonderful performances to be sure (even a brief one scene appearance by Bela Lugosi as a Russian Kommisar!) but except for the famous "Garbo laughs" scene (illustrated above) I remained unmoved and even a little impatient for it to end - perhaps I stuck with it to see Lugosi whose scene comes near the end of the film. I'm sure it is the masterpiece so many claim it to be. The plot about a female Russian official who is slowly "humanised" by Western culture and the love of a man has been used many times since in a musical remake (SILK STOCKINGS) with Cyd Charrise and Fred Astaire and a rather less successful film starring Bob Hope and Kartharine Hepburn and a disastrous one starring John Wayne and Janet Leigh.

AUGUST 7, 2015

THE STUDENT PRINCE (1954) Directed by Richard Thorpe. ***

Up front, I'll say that this is not my type of film, despite my huge admiration for the wonderful tenor voice of Mario Lanza. There are conflicting stories about why Lanza did not appear in the film himself as originally intended, including a conflict with the director (whether this was Thorpe or the original director, Curtis Bernhardt, is unknown) over how the songs should be sung. The more likely reason was Lanza's continuing weight problems. Edmund Purdom lip-synch's perfectly and all the cast are more than up to what is essentially a light weight piece of nonsense. Musically the film has two outstanding moments, the rousing "Drink, Drink" and the beautiful "I'll Walk with God", both have rarely, if ever, sounded better.

AUGUST 6, 2015

 

R.I.P. Michel Parry (1947-2014)

Today I began to make a list of the people with whom, over many years, I have enjoyed watching films with or talking about films to. Out of curiosity I decided to see if any of those I was no longer in touch with were on Facebook. Imagine my shock when I discovered that one of them had passed away only last November. Michel Parry was never a close friend but we often talked about movies and we had many mutual friends and were both part of an extended group of fans who often hung around together in the 1960's. Michel went on to make a career out of the fantasy books and films that he loved as novelist, an anthologist and a screenwriter. We last spoke several years ago and discussed the possibility of him visiting me in Westcliff, sadly that visit it happened. R.I.P.

AUGUST 4, 2015

 

R.I.P. Coleen Gray (1922-1915)

 

It was sad to read of the death of beautiful actress Coleen Gray. Coleen's long career in films and television began in 1946 and featured memorable roles in NIGHTMARE ALLEY, KISS OF DEATH,  Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING and Howard Hawks' RED RIVER. Along the way she made a couple of low-budget horror movies THE LEECH WOMAN and THE VAMPIRE.

AUGUST 4, 20015

THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE (1959) Dir: Roy Del Ruth **

Roy Del Ruth's film career stretches back to 1915 but he was only an occasional contributor to the horror genre, his previous effort being the enjoyable 3D Edgar Allan Poe adaption, THE PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE. It would be easy to dismiss THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE as a piece of low budget schlock if one's opinion was based solely on the technical aspects of the production, but the film has some interesting points. Firstly, the cast give it more than it deserves with George Macready excellent as the benevolent scientist genuinely trying to put right his mistakes (surprisingly, there is no dark side to his character). Pretty Beverly Garland makes an intelligent heroine while Frieda Innescort essays a mother who could have walked out of a Hitchcock film. Bruce Bennett and Douglas Kennedy appear only in a prologue and epilogue to the story. Curiously, the "alligator people", or rather the "alligator man" offer no threat and the all the mischief is supplied by the drunken, rapacious janitor played by Lon Chaney Jr. I don't think I'd go as far as to plead a case for this film but it does have a few nice touches as far as the script (Orville Hampton) goes. It is available for free on You Tube.

I'LL BE BACK....

FLEAPIT OF THE MIND will reopen for business in one week. I've decided not to change the formula that has served so well for the last few years.  It has never been my intention to write in-depth reviews but rather to simply record a few observations about some of the films I watch. I do not write about every film I see and I prefer to pick the older or more offbeat titles that come my way whether they be B or even Z grade efforts from the underbelly of the cinema or what some (not me) might term "art house" movies. My criteria as always is how entertaining as film is for whatever reason and, in my opinion, does it successfully set out to do what the makers intended. One new feature will be the publication of various "Ten" or "Twenty" Best lists from time to time. As always I welcome comments, suggestions and (hopefully) a few plaudits.