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Maverick (1957)
A Great Series Because of both Garner AND Kelly
Although I grew up watching classic television I somehow completely missed Maverick until 2015. Thus while Maverick is an older series it was very new to me. I suppose that is the wonderful thing to realize that there are still great series out there to discover.
I started to watch Maverick specifically because of James Garner. I had recently re-watched the Great Escape (a favorite film of mine) and wanted to see more from Garner. Garner is absolutely wonderful here in his first starring role and it's no surprise that he had a long and very rich career.
However a real surprise for me was Jack Kelly. Before Maverick I had absolutely no idea who Jack Kelly was which is not surprising because while he did a lot of small roles and guest spots, Maverick was definitely the highlight of his career. I am also happy I went into Maverick blind and did not read the many grossly inaccurate reviews that Garner was all there was to Maverick. You will notice that most people who say Kelly did not measure up to Garner admit they "skip the Kelly episodes". Another trend I notice that those who do give Kelly the most credit say they have reevaluated Kelly as an adult and realize they underrated him.
Pretty much with the first 3 seasons whether you watch a Kelly or Garner episode you can't lose. Garner tended to have the best comedy and Western parody scripts while Kelly got the better dramatic and drawing room comedy scripts. It was the contrast between Kelly & Garner that made the series so great along with well written scripts that still stand up as classics today. However the very best episodes had Garner and Kelly together, their chemistry was pure magic and one of the shows biggest mistakes was not giving us more episodes with them together.
Seasons 4 and 5 aren't bad but they definitely don't measure up to the previous 3 seasons (the best of which is season 2). Not only because you have lost Garner at that point but Roy Huggins the producer and creator of the series left at the end of season 2. Most of the best writers also left with him.
For a short time Roger Moore joined the series as cousin Beau. Moore put up a good effort despite weaker scripts but the series would never be the same without Garner. Although if my previous paragraphs were not clear I feel if Kelly had been the one to leave the show he also would have left an irreplaceable hole. Garner of course started the series without Kelly but in those very early episodes the show was still finding itself and is also not the best Maverick has to offer.
However even at its worst, Maverick is still pretty entertaining if not as clever and witty as it once was. You only notice the decline in the later seasons when you have just finished watching the superior earlier seasons.
The Eagle and the Hawk (1933)
A Classic that Should Not be Forgotten
Often when a classic movie is forgotten there is a good reason for it. However this is not the case with Eagle & the Hawk. Sure it's no masterpiece but it's a pretty solid WWI movie that focuses on the realities of war. It reminds me somewhat of "All Quiet on the Western Front." It's not quite as good as that but it has similar themes.
The movie stars Fredric March & Cary Grant. Cary Grant is probably the more well known star today but back in 1933 March was the bigger name and he is the main star with Grant as the supporting player. I love Cary Grant and he does a pretty good job here playing a character that is not completely sympathetic. This is the type of part that you would not really see from him later in his career. However March is the real star of this picture and he is absolutely fantastic as a soldier who slowly loses his nerve. It's a real shame March is not better remembered today. Overall March and Grant have great on screen chemistry and interact well as two WWI pilots who dislike each other yet respect the others' abilities. The ending in my opinion is also quite memorable.
The only sour point of the film is a small cameo by Carole Lombard. Don't get me wrong I am a big fan of Lombard but her part is pretty pointless here and it doesn't mesh with the rest of the film. It just seems the writers wanted to add a little romance to the movie whether it fit or not.
Life on Mars (2006)
Excellent UK Series
To those who are writing reviews if you have come to write a review for the recently canceled ABC series please turn back you are at the wrong place (there has already been two people who have written reviews for the wrong series) You are looking for the 2008 Life on Mars series.
This version was produced in the UK in 2006 and stars John Simm. If you liked or even if you did not like the American Life on Mars I highly recommend watching the UK original series. It is one of the best live action series I have seen in a long time with a combination of great drama, comedy, and superb performances by all involved. In my eyes there can be no other Sam Tyler or Gene Hunt except those played brilliantly by John Simm and Philip Glenister. Their chemistry as a team was impeccable.
Without spoiling anything I will say this is one of the few shows that completely delivered right to the end. In fact not only did it deliver it exceeded my expectations in every way possible. So take the journey back to 1973 Manchester and watch this amazing series. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Life on Mars can be remade but the original can never be replaced!