Reviews

What makes the 1943 WWII drama,"Cry,Havoc", offbeat is that it deals with a subject of the war that was rarely talked about then or now. The subject is the struggles and noble sacrifices of army nurses. "Cry,Havoc" was based on a fairly successful stage play, which explains why the film is set primarily in the confines of an underground bomb shelter. However,this doesn't make the film any the less powerful or intriguing. Lieutenant Mary "Smitty" Smith(Margaret Sullavan) desperately needs more experienced nurses at an army hospital in Bataan. Later,several volunteers arrive at Bataan and are willing to do their part for the war effort. Smitty is somewhat disappointed when see learns they aren't experienced. Although, the nurses are willing to work, they aren't fully aware of the hardships and destruction they'll have to face. The nurses' predicament becomes worse when two hospital buildings are hit and bombed by Japanese planes. Their chance of survival becomes extremely slim. This film paints an unglamorous and intense picture of war. Except for a few male extras,the majority of the cast is female. MGM put an ensemble cast of accomplished actresses in the leads. The cast includes: Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell, Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt,and Heather Angel. Sothern stands out among the cast. Although, she was a gifted comedienne,Sothern had an immense talent in dramatic areas as well. Here she plays Pat Conlin, a tough, headstrong nurse,who thinks she knows the severity of war. She learns the hard way that isn't that easy and becomes a more sympathetic person because of it. Sullavan gives a fine,realistic performance as Lieutenant Smitty. She's a courageous character that is slowly dying of malignant Malaria. The rest of the cast give unique performances as well. This is one of Richard Thrope's better directorial efforts. He had directed the unsatisfying spy thriller,"Above Suspicion" and the dull sequel to the award-winning classic,"Mrs. Miniver". If you want to see a similarly-themed film,watch Paramount's "So,Proudly We Hail",also made in 1943. It is actually superior to "Cry,Havoc". It goes more in-depth about army nurses' sacrifices and is set in many different areas. "Cry,Havoc" is still very good and makes a compelling viewing experience. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Many of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries have been turned into popular films. However,Rene Clair's "And Then There Were None(1945)" along with Billy Wilder's "Witness for the Prosecution(1957)" are her best screen adaptations. "And Then There Were None" is a taut mystery with a witty and sometimes humorous script. It also has memorable dialog and brilliant cinematography. It stars a cast of impeccable character actors including: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Roland Young, Louis Hayward, Judith Anderson,and C. Aubrey Smith. The ingenious plot goes something like this: Ten people are invited to stay at the island estate of Mr. U.N. Own for the weekend. They're all there for various reasons,although,none of them have ever met or spoken to their host. When they arrive, Mr. Own is late, but the butler serves dinner anyway. At 9:00 p.m., the butler is instructed to play a record for the guests. On the record, Mr. Own accuses all of his guests of murder and says that they will be punished for their crimes. As soon as they know it, the maid falls ill and dies during the night. In the morning,one of the guests notices that one of a set of ten porcelain Indians is broken. All of the guests read a piece of sheet music called, "Ten Little Indians." It describes the maid's death and the following one to perfection. A foolish drunkard dies from poison in his glass. The guests come to the startling realization that one of the them is Mr. Own committing the murders. Who could it be? The film will hold your attention all the way through as one-by-one, characters disappear and then there are only two people left to solve the mystery. The ending is one of the most surprising in film history. The two performers that stand-out are Barry Fitzgerald as Judge Quinncanon and Walter Huston as Doctor Armstrong. These characters both think alike and have the same type of personality. They're both perceptive, intelligent, and somewhat devious. Equally intriguing performances come from Roland Young as bumbling Detective Blore, Judith Anderson as a suspicious and nasty spinster, Richard Haydn as a clumsy and petrified butler, and C. Aubrey Smith as the strange General Mandrake. The film is always kept delightful, thanks to director, Rene Clair making room for humor. For anyone interested in first-rate suspense, this film is highly recommended. I give it an 8 1/2 out of 10.

"Keeper of the Flame"(1942)was the second film starring the team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Their first was the delightful George Stevens comedy,"Woman of the Year",which was a smash hit at the Box Office. However,many critics consider their second film to be a not bad, but lesser teaming. This is mainly because the characters Tracy and Hepburn play lack the romantic chemistry that was evident in their other films. Also,because of the dark theme of the plot,there is no room for any comical moments. With that said, "Keeper of the Flame" is a brilliant mystery-drama with a timely theme:the dangers of false hero-worship. Steven O'Malley(Spencer Tracy)is a reporter wanting to write a story on the life of Robert Forrest,a beloved American hero, who has suddenly been killed in a tragic car accident. O'Malley has found it difficult to get an interview with the devastated widow,Christine Forrest(Katharine Hepburn). While waiting for the interview, he encounters peculiar people well-acquainted with the deceased. He meets Forrest's brother-in-law(Forrest Tucker),an embittered man,who seems to despise Forrest, a young boy(Daryll Hickman),who admires Forrest so much,he feels responsible for his death,and Forrest's fussy secretary(Richard Whorf),who isn't what he seems to be. The young boy leads O'Malley to Christine Forrest. O'Malley expects Christine to be well in her middle-age,but he's startled to see she isn't that old. Christine isn't very helpful with the story;she's quite distant when O'Malley asks her certain questions. O'Malley also finds out that Forrest's mother(Margaret Wycherly)is still living. Her identity is near-hidden, so he decides to meet her. Christine claims she's a mentally-disturbed invalid,but O'Malley feels she knows more than she has been given credit for. Meeting these people,O'Malley comes to the startling realization that Robert Forest,a supposed "American hero",isn't such a great human being. The acting is vivid and realistic. Katharine Hepburn is excellent in the challenging role of a woman who knows what her husband was really like,but must be "the keeper of the flame." Spencer Tracy is extremely effective as a reporter,who's beliefs have been shattered. The sparkling supporting cast makes the mystery even more intriguing. George Cukor does a terrific job of directing by never having unnecessary scenes and building up the suspense slowly to make the ending have a lasting impression. Cukor's work here foreshadows his work on the psychological dramas,"Gaslight"(1944) and "A Double Life"(1947). The cinematography is stark and always draws the viewer's attention. The score is appropriately overpowering. The film has some similarities to the overrated,"Citizen Kane."(1941) It's similar in that the main character is a deceased American figure,who's isn't what he seems to be. Also,in both films,the main character lives in a dark,mysterious house. However,the viewer has sympathy for Charles Foster Kane,whereas no one feels sorry for Robert Forrest. I recommend this film and give it a strong 8 1/2 out of 10.

"Above Suspicion(1943)" was the last film Joan Crawford made under her Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract. Crawford had strictly made films for the studio since 1925. She left,because she was dissatisfied with the mundane scripts she was offered.Looking at this film,we can see her point.Here's an espionage thriller that has a great premise and a good cast,but falters midway through.The plot is basically about honeymooners(Crawford and Fred MacMurray)being ask to do spy work in Nazi Germany. They must get information about a secret German mine.Along the way,they encounter colorful characters that lead them to clues.They even witness an assassination of a German leader in an opera house.The first 45 minutes is extremely suspenseful and Crawford and MacMurray have great chemistry together.However,the rest of the film is less than plausible and the ending leaves much to be desired.The problem,though,is with the director,Richard Thorpe.Not one of MGM's best directors,Thrope puts too many unnecessary scenes in the film,that distract from the plot.In addition,he wastes the talent of some great character actors,putting them in one-dimensional roles.Basil Rathbone was great at playing sinister roles.Here he plays a conniving Nazi,but has very little to do.The major miscasting was letting Conrad Veidt play a charming spy.Veidt was marvelous at playing an acid-tongued Nazi officer,most notably in the classic,"Casablanca(1943)." In other hands like Alfred Hitchcock or Fritz Lang,this film could have been first-rate.Crawford wouldn't have a hit movie until "Mildred Pierce(1945)",where she gave perhaps the best performance of her career as a self-sacrificing mother. As it is, the film isn't a bomb,but there are much better spy thrillers out there.I give it 2 1/2 stars out of four.

Gene Tierney gives a remarkable performance as Ellen Berent,one of the most malicious characters ever to grace the screen. The film is "Leave Her To Heaven(1945)",an intriguing character study based on a popular novel by Ben Ames Williams.The story begins when Ellen meets author,Richard Harland(Cornel Wilde)on a train. They quickly become well-acquainted and start to fall in love when he visits her in her New Mexican home.It's evident that Ellen's mother and sister(Jeanne Crain)feel she's extremely clinging to people she loves.However,they believe this is out of the goodness of her soul.Ellen's mother even says the memorable line,"There's nothing wrong with Ellen;she just loves too much." Unfortunately,this turns out to be not such a commendable trait. Ellen and Richard quickly get married and move into his summer house, "Back of the Moon." Much to Ellen's dismay,Richard's crippled brother(Daryll Hickman)joins them. Ellen knows her husband wants his family around him and it will never change. However,she wants her husband to herself and will not let anyone stand in her way. John M. Stahl vividly directs this film and uses gorgeous technicolor vistas as a backdrop.While most 40's crime dramas were filmed in black and white,this one is in color,making the story even more chilling.Stahl wanted to convey the message that evil could lurk in beautiful surroundings and in the best of families. The scene where Tierney mercifully watches crippled Hickman drown in a lake,is still one of the most disturbing in American cinema. Gene Tierney gives perhaps her finest performance in the difficult role of a cold and calculating killer.She got an Oscar nomination,but lost out to Joan Crawford's performance as a self-sacrificing mother in "Mildred Pierce." Cornel Wilde is extremely effective as the caring husband,who loves his wife,but isn't too fond of her. Vincent Price has a fascinating supporting role as Tierney's ex-lover and later prosecutor for Wilde. Daryll Hickman is memorable as the innocent victim of one of Tierney's violent acts. The film is similar in symbolic tone to Alfred Hitchcock's classic,"Shadow of a Doubt(1943)",where he used small-town America as a backdrop for the story of murderer on the run. This is another thriller I highly recommend. I give "Leave Her To Heaven" an 8 1/2 out of 10.

The film,"Citizen Kane"(1941)is considered the greatest movie ever made on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 films of the twentieth century. I think this is a bit of an overstatement,but "Citizen Kane" is a fine,worth while drama that tells an interesting story. The film is based on the life of journalist,William Randolph Hearst. The beginning of the film starts out with news reels talking about the death of a 70 year-old,newspaper tycoon,Charles Foster Kane. Many reporters are wondering what "Rosebud",Kane's last word meant. One such reporter,Jerry Thompson,decides to find out what this means by interviewing people who knew him best and looking in records about his life. Thompson's interviewees include,Kane's second wife,singer Susan Alexander,his good friend,Jedidiah Leland,and Mr. Bernstein,a man who worked with him on his paper,the "Inquirer". Thompson also looks in the diaries of Walter Parks Thatcher,the man who adopted him from his parents to give him a better life in society. Thompson starts to realize that Kane,who seemed like he got everything he wanted in life,was not completely happy. We,as the audience,see Kane's life in a series of flashbacks. Except for the beginning,which drags,the film runs quite smoothly. All the actors fit their parts perfectly. Orson Welles does a fine job of directing the film and playing the part of Kane. He's a character you can love and hate. I do prefer Welles' performances in "The Stranger"(1946)as an escaped Nazi,who poses as a teacher and as the conniving Harry Lime in "The Third Man"(1949). He gives a more believable performance in these two roles. In my opinion,the supporting players give the film its' spark. Joseph Cotten does great justice to his role as Jedidah Leland,a man who probably knew Kane best. Agnes Moorehaed gives a small,but memorable performance as Kane's mother. Dorothy Comingore draws your attention every time she's in a scene and adds a little comic relief as Susan Alexander. The film in no way is a classic,but worth a look once in a while. I give it 7 1/2 out of the 10.

The 1947 mystery-thriller,"The Two Mrs.Carrolls"is considered by many critics to be a tepid,unrealistic film and one of Humphrey Bogart's lesser works. This couldn't be more false. The film contains brilliant performances by Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck,a great deal of eerie suspense,and delicious bits of English humor. The plot of the film is similar to that of Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" and "Suspicion",but has a uniqueness all it's own. It tells the story of Geoffrey Carroll(Bogart),a struggling artist who marries a wealthy woman,Sally(Stanwyck), after his supposed invalid wife dies. Life is normal for them,until Sally begins to feel ill and restless quite often.A doctor says she's suffering from nothing more than a nerve condition,and she believes that's all it is. She is, unfortunately, in for a big surprise.She learns from Geoffrey's precocious,young daughter,Bea(Ann Carter),some things about his previous wife.For starters,she was not an invalid and only got sick the last few weeks of her life.Geoffrey gave her milk at night to make her feel relaxed.This is exactly what he does for Sally.She also learns that a painting of his former wife,called "The Angel of Death",was done while she was sick. Hearing this,Sally comes to the realization that she is Geoffrey's next victim of a well-planned crime.Stanwyck has never been better as a panic-stricken wife,trying to survive her husband's evil doings.Bogart gives a highly underrated performance as a psychopath,who gets brutal when his murder plot doesn't go according to plan.His presence on screen is often frightening.The ending is wonderfully witty and comical.While not in the same league as "The Maltese Falcon"or "Key Largo",this is still a highly entertaining Bogart film,that will not disappoint. I give it a strong 8 1/2 out of 10.

Over the last couple of years,there has been a lot of praise about "The Bad and the Beautiful",a 1952 melodrama about a hated Hollywood producer. Many critics say the film is a captivating and realistic look at what goes on behind-the-scenes in Hollywood.When I read comments like these and heard it had a cast that included:Kirk Douglas,Lana Turner,Walter Pidgeon,Dick Powell,and Gloria Grahame,I decided to watch it when it came on TCM(Turner Classic Movies)three months ago.The film tells the story of a studio executive(Pidgeon)of Sheilds Pictures,trying to convince three celebrities:an actress(Turner),a director(Barry Sullivan),and a playwright(Powell),to do a film with a greedy producer(Douglas),whom they all greatly despise.To show the audience why they hate this producer,there are three flashbacks.The film starts out very promising,but then just goes into pure boredom.The plot,itself,is fascinating,and if the film would have been done differently,it could've have been great.The flashbacks are extremely slow-moving,and you don't see the terrible things Kirk Douglas does until the very end of each of them.There isn't much detail about them,either. Because the script doesn't have much depth to it,the performers can't breathe life into story. I'll never understand how Gloria Grahame won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Dick Powell's cheap,Southern wife. She's only in the film for ten minutes,if that long,and doesn't bring a real impact to the story.You also don't see her flirting with men,there is only talk of it.I can't believe Vincent Minelli,the brilliant director of "Meet Me in St. Louis","Undercurrent",and "Lust for Life",could direct this misfire.

"Gaslight"(1944)is one of my favorite psychological thrillers and perhaps the best example of the genre. For some odd reason, the AFI(American Film Institute)overlooked this film on their list of the top 100 films of the 20th century. But then again, I'm not surprised. The film contains incredible performances by Ingrid Bergman(who won an Oscar for Best Actress),Charles Boyer,and Angela Lansbury in her film debut. The script is always exciting and has a tad bit of humor and the suspense mounts. It tells the story of Paula Alquist(Bergman),the teenage niece of an opera star who has been murdered in her home. After her aunt's death, Paula goes to live and study in Italy. Fourteen years later,she falls in love with her piano teacher,Gregory Anton(Boyer),they have a whirlwind courtship and marry. Paula decides she wants to live in her aunt's house in England because of all the fond memories she had before the murder. Paula's new life with Gregory seems to be going well, but things soon change.The Antons never invite anybody in their home and are rarely seen in public. Gregory tells people that Paula is too ill to see anyone. Things are misplaced in the house and Gregory blames Paula for losing them. She insists she never takes them. At night, Paula hears strange noises in the attic and her gaslight dims down and goes on again. Gregory makes Paula believe she's going insane. When they do go out,a Scotland Yard detective(Joseph Cotten)recognizes Paula from her childhood and sees strange things happening. A noisy neighbor(Dame May Whitty)also senses things are amiss. Bergman plays the paniced woman to perfection. I couldn't seen anyone else in her part. Boyer gives an often frightening presence on screen as the wicked tormentor. The film sounds like Alfred Hitchcock directed it,but it was directed by George Cukor. This is a must see! I give it a 91/2 out of 10.

Many critics consider the 1944 drama,"Dragon Seed" to be an overlong epic that has unconvincing characterizations of Chinese people. It's true that some of American actors in this film don't look Chinese,but a majority of them do. With that said,"Dragon Seed" is one of the best films about World War II. I have ever seen. It contains excellent performances by the entire cast and deals with a part of the war that is rarely mentioned, the Japanese occupation in China in the late 1930's. The film is based on a popular novel by Pearl S. Buck and tells the story of Ling Tan(Walter Huston)and his family of farmers.Tan and his wife(Aline MacMahon)try to keep the ancient Chinese customs alive in their household, but they soon realize that this is impossible. Jade,(Katharine Hepburn)Tan's daughter-in-law and many people in China are finding out ways to protect themselves against Japanese invaders. When the Japanese come, their lives are destroyed forever. The farmers are forced to share most of their land with the invaders,homes and personal belongings are destroyed,the invaders storm into homes and kill people, and people flee to get away from all the chaos. As a viewer,you see a family courageously surviving turmoil the best way that they can. The film is entertaining all the way through. Katharine Hepburn gives one of the greatest and most underrated performances of her career.She should have gotten,at least,an Oscar nomination for it. Walter Huston and Aline MacMahon are equally brilliant as the wise heads of the family. Agnes Moorehead gives a fascinating performance as a nasty in-law,who will do anything to get what she wants. Of course, this film has the usual high MGM production values. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Monty Woolley,Bette Davis,and Ann Sheridan star in a wonderfully,witty comedy called The Man Who Came To Dinner{1941}. Based on a successful play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart,it tells the story of a radio personality,Sheridan Whiteside{Woolley}going to businessman's house to dinner with his loyal and dedicated secretary,Maggie{Davis}.After he's picked up at the train station,he slips from ice on the ground,and breaks his hip.Then he must stay at the businessman's house for a while. Woolley takes over the lives of the family,literally. He makes them go into the house from the back way,knock when they enter the living room, insults them,and makes their lives miserable. He stays there for close to a year. He later finds out from his doctor that he wasn't really that sick at all. The doctor looked at the wrong x-rays,but Woolley is not going to go that fast. Davis has fallen in love with a reporter and he doesn't want to lose her. So, he gets an actress {Sheridan},that he knows, to steal the reporter away from Davis. You'll roll on the floor laughing at this movie. Monty Woolley is superb as a coniving middle-aged old man. Bette Davis does a great job at something light-hearted,for a change. She does take a back seat to Woolley,though.She was only put in the film for box-office success, because Woolley was not a big name. A Must See!! I give it a 9 1/2 out of 10.

In 1948, Alfred Hitchcock made an experimental picture called Rope. It was experimental, because he shot it in ten takes, which provides a seamless flow. Based on the real life Leopold-Loeb murder case, it told the story of two college students{Farley Granger and John Dall}murdering a peer just for the thrill of it. As an added thrill, they invite the peer's family, close friends, and a former professor of all three college students{James Stewart}to a party and use the chest,where the body is in, as a buffet table.Stewart begins to think that something is wrong, when the young man, who the party is for, is terribly late and the subject of murder is discussed greatly. Except for,the fine acting by Stewart,the film drags continuously. This is probably because, the film stays in the confines of the students' apartment. The dialogue is flat, and it doesn't have the usual nail-biting suspense that mister Hitchcock is famous for.Rope was not a hit with audiences when first released and the years haven't given it a new perspective.I give it a 5 1/2 out of 10.

The Man Who Knew Too Much{1956}is a remake of a film that Alfred Hitchcock made in England in 1934 with the same name. In my opinion, his later effort is far superior. Many critics and fans of Alfred Hitchcock will argue that the remake is mediocre and doesn't have the spine tingling suspense of the original with Peter Lorre. In both films the plot is essentially the same, except the original is set in Switzerland and the remake in Marrakech . It tells the story of a married couple {James Stewart and Doris Day}vacationing with their young son and meeting a suspicious man, that is very curious about their past. It just so happens, he's an agent that's looking for a couple involved in a plot to assassinate a world leader.Then he gets stabbed in a Marrakeck market because of it being found out that he's a spy,and proceeds to fall into Stewart's arms.Dying,he tells him the whole story of the assassination plot.Stewart and Day then find out that another couple they met were the couple the agent was looking for and have kidnapped their son.The film contains excellent performances by Stewart and Day,in a straight dramatic role,as worried and frightened parents.This film proved that Doris Day could act in suspenseful dramas as well as carefree musicals.The direction by Alfred Hitchcock is top-notch.The film keeps you on the edge of your seat every minute.The scene in Albert Hall is a classic.The original is so slow-paced and drab.I don't know how people can compare the two.Just watch the remake and you'll enjoy it.I give the movie a 9 out of 10.

This will be the first time I'm writing a movie review on the Internet Movie Database. I'm a fan of classic films, being 16-years old, that's unusual. I heard about the film, The Spiral Staircase{1946} from my grandmother and from reading about it, but never got the opportunity to see it. It sounded good. AMC {American Movie Classics}finally put it on a couple of months ago and I taped it.The story was set in a small town, where three women were strangled because of their physical and mental disabilities. Helen{Dorothy McGuire}is a mute nurse working in a professor's mansion, caring for his invalid stepmother{Ethel Barrymore}. Helen's doctor friend{Kent Smith}and the residents of the mansion are worried that Helen may be the next victim of this killer's rage. However, they don't know that the strangler has followed her and is in the house.The film keeps you fascinated till the very end. It also has great performances by Dorothy McGuire, though she doesn't speak throughout the whole movie, Ethel Barrymore{an elderly,invalid woman,who's very perceptive and knows that Helen should leave the house immediately}, and George Brent as the professor. It only runs 83 minutes, but a lot of things happen. It has a surprise ending, so don't tell anyone how it ends. This film ranks amongst Alfred Hitchcock's finest thrillers. I give it an 8 1/2 out of 10.