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Reviews
Cowboy (1958)
An unusual story unusually well-acted
I caught this film at 5 am one morning, and was so glad I did. The story was simple: city slicker joins hardened cowboys for cow drive. Typical "fish out of water" ? Not by a long shot.
Jack Lemmon is his usual excellent. He has the ability to undergo character metamorphosis so subtly the viewer hardly notices, yet his transformations drive the films (see, i.e., "Mister Roberts").
One thing I want to point out is the photography: it is really outstanding. The camera angles are not intrusive, yet every scene was made a little more interesting than it could have been. There was one shot, right before the Indian confrontation, in which the camera focused on Reese walking left to right, then followed his back as he went down a knoll, called to another man. The camera then followed this man on his horse as he rode up, then met up with Reese. They then had a conversation: this was all one beautiful shot!
In all, if you like cowboy movies with scant amount of shoot-'em- ups and a lot of character interaction, growth and conflict, you will enjoy this memorable film.
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Rises Above its B-Western genre
In the 1950s, westerns were churned out by the studios to fill those Saturday matinée seats and sell that popcorn. Most followed one of the set patterns of American mythology: Bad Man Turns Good, Returning Civil War Soldier Re-Establishes Himself With Town and Wife, etc.
"3:10 To Yuma" uses the familiar "Lone Man Not Especially Courageous Against Overwhelming Odds" story to great effect. Glenn Ford is the "bad guy," but not an especially evil one, and Van Heflin is the over-worked, hardscrabble farmer whom life has just passed by. He sees the possibility of financial redemption when a volunteer is needed to take the stagecoach robber Glenn Ford to the train (guess what time the train arrives).
Although low-budget, there are several factors which raise this film above B-movie level: the acting is of course very good, the direction weaves a simple narrative, the photography is unobtrusive yet manages to heighten the tension with angles and close-ups, and the script converts a good story into a edge-of-the-chair thriller.
One need not be a fan of "westerns" to enjoy this thoroughly engrossing encounter with the genre. In my mind, it lies with "Searchers," "Rio Bravo," "Stagecoach," "High Noon," and the under- appreciated "Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" in the troposphere of cowboy-and-horse films.
The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957)
If you like Westerns, you will like this !
This film is one of hundreds of westerns churned out in the post-WWi era; in fact, westerns ruled the roost of cinema until the late 60s, most of which were made quickly, inexpensively, and predictably.
Some of the big stars, who were able to command slightly larger budgets and better writers, were John Wayne, Randolph Scott, and WWII hero Audie Murphy. In this delightfully entertaining escapade, Murphy opposes the US Army's massacre of an Indian village populated with women and children, and, knowing the actions of the soldiers will lead to retribution, rides to his home state of Texas to warn the settlers (almost all of whom are, or course, women - the men being off fighting the civil war).
Take a guess as to whether the women and Murphy survive and whether or not at least one of the women fall in love with him. Yeah, right.
Anyway, you will not regret seeing this great example of the B- westerns that your grandparents grew up watching each weekend in double features for 35 cents.
Columbo: Negative Reaction (1974)
Very good, could have been better
Dick van Dyke is one of my favorite actors (I believe I have seen everything in which he has appeared), but this episode of "Columbo" left me wanting better for him.
First, of course, the story is simple and irrelevant: a man kills his wife, frames another man, and is caught through small errors.
However, the largest error van Dyke's character makes is almost laughable: he claims to have been shot by the framed man, and shoots himself in the leg with the gun pressed against his pantleg. Is there anyone in America who remains unaware of stippling (gunpowder patterns indicating a contact wound)?
Beyond that, his use and supervision of the pre-planning with the framed man left so many clues that he may as well have painted an arrow on the ground pointing to himself.
Columbo often borders on rudeness; in this episode, he crosses the line, loudly and obnoxiously taking photographs at a funeral. Why? What was so necessary to photograph that couldn't have waited? Very disappointing scene.
All that aside, van Dyke is excellent, as always, and if you like these types of shows, you will very much enjoy these 90 minutes.
Peter Pan Live! (2014)
Delightful, but needs the "willing suspension of disbelief"
I have watched this twice now (missed part of the original broadcast), the second time with local kids. They absolutely were enchanted. I really believe the problem so many reviewers are having (we can see the wires, why is a girl playing Peter, blah blah) is the reaching for an adult sense of cynicism.
With the exception of an oddly-stone-faced Captain Hook (why not make him have an over-reaching evil expression?) I think the actors were very good, with some acquiring excellence. The sets were what they should be - obvious fantasies -- and the music, while mostly familiar, coupled with simple, easily-filmed choreography, was fun, especially "I Won't Grow Up."
Could it have been better? Not with the film restrictions of a live broadcast. I would say this revealed and displayed convincingly the "innocence on the reluctant edge of adulthood."