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Reviews
The Spider Woman (1943)
Sherlock Holmes flubs a line.
In 80 years appear to be the only person who noticed (or perhaps cared if they did notice): S. H. refers to "the so-called pyjama murders." They were so-called pyjama "suicides." It was still for him to show they were murders, which didn't happen until the end,
So foolish Basil Rathbone decided S. H. was beneath him, wanted to grand things like Shakespeare or perhaps Greek plays. So what happened, he more or less sank into obscurity and, at the end, was of necessity for income appearing in bikini beach party movies and grade Z horrors. And Dr. Watson was so upset of his partner's desertion, he soon after suffered a heart attack and died. Sad.
Dreamland (2007)
what a waste of an hour
What is this thing with teenagers are their multiple exclamation marks viz "I highly recommend seeing Dreamland, you're missing out if you don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" If anything really were urgent, would anyone pay attention? My opinion of this movie is that it might have been filmed in Super-8, that is the level of its production values. I got it from the local public library because the cover on the DVD disk looked interesting. Right away saw that it was really cheesy even Monogram Studio would have rejected it as of too poor a quality. Was curious at least to see if maybe something would be of value or interest...but nothing, just junk. What a waste of an hour. Am really surprised to see that people, at least some of them here, are raving about it, praising its artistic excellence, etc. Crazy.
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)
confused
Why is Frances Farmer referred to as "the late. Are the other cast members all still living? What is the difference between heal and heel?
On another subject, does anybody know who is the man coming out of the screen door of Selznick Interntional movie studio? You just catch a glimpse of him during the introduction before the picture fades out. Maybe it is Mr. Selznick himself?
In the cast is says that Dennis Hooey was in it, but could not find him? He played Inspector LeStrade in the Sherlock Holmes movies. Any help on this also appreciated.
One day would like to make a visit to the former Selznick Studio. Actually, this movie was made by the Fox Co., wasn't it? Sorry about that. I once spoke with a top public information officer of 20th Century Fox sorry again, and when I asked her why FOX was all big letters in the e-mail I had received, she said she didn't know. I asked "Isn't that a person's name?" and she replied, "I don't know, is it?" I found that an interesting comment on the current education system in the United States.
Ma Barker's Killer Brood (1960)
Don't waste your time with this one
It's true, Ma Barker really did nothing, other than as the man said, provide a house of refuge for her admitedly killer brood. She never had a gun in her hand (the billboard for the movie shows her blasting away with a "tommy" gun) and would not even have known how to fire one (she was not bright). Ma Barker never was charged with a crime, and was never arrested. She was shot by Hoover's "G Men" in I think 1935, and they had to justify he murder somehow, so they just made up the story of her being a criminal master mind. Anyhow, this movie stinks, not just because it is fake, but from what the young man above said so well, that it is just a junky movie.
The Amos 'n Andy Show (1951)
voice of Don Hollenbeck
It's absolutely him. In the Amos and Andy TV show episode (which was based on a radio episode with the same plot) in which the King Fish's car is used in a robbery, the voice of the radio announcer (telling of the robbery) is Don Hollenbeck! I thought how could that possibly be, this famous man. How did they get him to do it? And then I remembered that the A&A television series was done by CBS, and Hollenbeck worked right there and they must have said to him, listen how would you like to do this and he said sure it will be fun. Don Hollenbeck was this marvelous radio announcer and commentator, he spoke so clearly, pronouncing all words carefully (not like today, where they deliberately slur their words, they really do, it order to be like "just plainf folks") and those thrilling reports from the war. A marvelous announcer, always listened to his reports. Anyway, there is in doing an Amos and Andy show.
East of Eden (1955)
Yes it was a swell movie, but...
There is a scene at the beginning (and this is not a spoiler) that is kind of ridiculous we thought. The character played by James Dean is hanging around outside this happiness lady house (in the 1950s they had to call it a "dance hall") and the bouncer grabs him and says "Stay away from here kid, you are too young." Well now, really, he was I think 23 or 24 years old! And he looked it. Not that that's old (I am 70!) but c'mon now. Also, on the DVD of the movie, as the "exra feature" they repeated endlessly a rock and roll song about the fellow James Dean, and it began "He was so young and innocent." There is is again! As for innocent, we read at the time (and don't get mad at me, it's just a part of history) that the fellow had been called up for service in Korea and got out of it by claiming an exemption on account of being a homosexual (gay person was not a term in use then). Again, no judgement, but "innocent" Ridiculous! Incessant smoking, drinking, fast cars, gay inrigues, that's all fine and perfectly acceptable...but hardly qualifies as "innocent." That's our opinion, even if legions of fan will theaten mayhem for hearing it.
Metro Movietone Revue (1929)
Grace Rogers
Grace Rogers, the little girl in the Movietone Review, also appeared, much more grown up, in the movie "Dames" with Dick Powell. She sings a number with him. I am fairly certain it was that movie, it also had James Cagney in it. It was one of the Busby Berkely movies. The M.C. Harry Rose, I wish there was some more info about him. I found him most entertaining, like Jack Benny (anybody remember him) but even better. And his rendition of "My Mammy" was I think better than Al' Jolson's (he also was a famous singer of the day, known at "the world's greatest entertainer"! But I also would guess he too is forgotten, more or less, except by old people, and they won't be here much longer. Can you imagine a current day street teenager being interested in any such singers? And they are the ones who will soon rule the world. Glad I won't be around!
Captains Courageous (1937)
The captain was resonsible
Listen, I feel very sorry for the sea captain(knowing that within a very short time he would become so badly crippled with arthritis that he would need a wheel chair) but the fact it is HE was responsible for poor Manuel's getting killed. Nobody seems to have paid the slightest attention to this. Racing full speed in unsafe conditons, jeopardizing the entire ship and the lives of the men and all the hard work they had done over those months -- all so he could win a dumb race against another sea captain. Had he just sailed the ship safely and normally, Manuel would be alive today, or at lease he might still be (this written in 2006) as a very old man.
Kiss of Death (1947)
lady in chair, plus trivia
The lady was most definitely not in the wheelchair, and don't need multiple !!!!!!!!!s (which everybody seems to require these days) to affirm it's true. Widmark may indeed have said that, but he was fibbing. In the first place, there was no need for anybody to be in the wheelchair. If you examine the scene frame by frame (easy to do with DVD) you can see it is empty. The scene happens so fast of course that in normal viewing, it would not have been necessary for anybody to be in the chair. You see the killer at the top, the lady with terror, and then CUT to the descending chair. Why the cut if the lady was to remain in the chair? That alone should have been tip off.
Here's a trivia that may be of interest (maybe not): the very first scene of the movie, showing Times Square in New York City at Christmas, was shot not in 1947 but in 1929! How do you know this, look at the Model A Fords and and the ancient street cars. Also note what's playing at the Astor Theater(marquee plainly visible), Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier in "The Love Parade." In the DVD commentary, which seemingly covered EVERYTHING, this apparently not noticed.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Really enjoyed this movie, but....
sadly found performance by Spencer Tracy to be disappointing. Am guessing the producer wanted a really big name (I noticed Tracy's was above the title! and far above any of the other actors) and he was available. Thing is, he looked like he is ready to die (which I believe he did, either during the filming or within days after). And he looks it. Yes, very sorry for him, but listen I am an old man too and not long for this world. Does that mean I have the right to spoil a really funny comedy movie? Anyway, I think anybody but him would have been better. I read too (on the back of the DVD package we bought) that Tracy told them he would not rehearse, and they either got the shot once or never. Very kind of him.