Plot: After his Court-Martial for theft, former Army officer Rick Leland (Bogart) boards a Japanese ship for the Orient in late 1941. Also on board is Japanophile Doctor Lorenz (Greenstreet), his Nisei Sidekick (Victor Sen Yung), and globe-trotter Alberta Marlow (Mary Astor). But is everyone what they pretend to be?
Stars: Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet, Mary Astor, Victor Sen Yung
A follow-up to the popular "Maltese Falcon"; ATP reunites Astor, Greenstreet, and Bogart. Sen Yung stands in for Peter Lorre. All have wonderful chemistry with each other, and Astor shows the her flair for comedy (see also "Palm Beach Story"). Sen Yung is good as the phony "Joe College" Totsuiko . Sadly, the thin standard story keeps it from being anymore than an enjoyable 97 minutes.
The movie seems to have attracted a large number of dubious stories including (i) Astor claiming the production has hurried to completion before the Japanese-American actors were interned (unlikely since all the Asian actors were of Chinese-American) (ii) Houston claiming that - as a prank - he set up an impossible to film ending and then left for the the Army (unlikely given how WB micro-managed film production or (iii) the film was originally about a plot to attack Pearl Harbor (hence the title "Across the Pacific") but had to be changed after December 7th, 1941 (possible).
Best Quote: Leland: "Ah, there's a Canadian for you! Let them take their clothes off, and they're happy."
Summary: An enjoyable Bogie movie with a thin story, wonderful chemistry between the main actors, and some good one-liners. Not first-tier Bogart, but still good. Rating ***
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Last Detail
89. The Last Detail (1973) Jack Nicholson stars as Petty Officer "Bad-ass" Buddusky detailed along with Petty Officer "Mule" (Otis Young) to take 18 year old Randy Quaid to Naval Prison. Quaid's character is being imprisoned for petty larceny. Partly a Road Picture, partly a buddy picture, but mostly a chance for Jack Nicholson to overact shamelessly and be very entertaining. The story really doesn't amount to much, but its a interesting slice of life, and despite the non-stop profanity the characters are well drawn and interesting. Compared to "Cinderella Liberty" it seems true to life (except for Jack & Young being 10 years too old). Young and Quaid are excellent - one of Jack's best performances. Rating **1/2
Virginia City
213. Virginia City (1940) - Union intelligence officer Flynn fights with Randolph Scott and mustached "Mexican" Humphrey Bogart over a shipment of Virginia City Gold. While Bogie's accent ranges from Manhattan to Mexico City and back again - he's actually quite acceptable. The movie is too long, but still good. Rating - ***
Man of the West (1958)
Man of the West (1958) - Mann. Rating **1/2
Stars: Gary Cooper, Julie London and Lee J. Cobb. 100 minutes.
Plot: A reformed outlaw becomes stranded after an aborted train robbery with two other passengers and is forced to rejoin his old outlaw band.
My 3rd viewing & my opinion is lowered. Good action scenes, Mann was always great at that, but a lot of dislikable, boring characters, not much of a story. No humor and I can't remember one line of dialogue. Lee J. Cobb hams it up and is way too young to be Coopers Uncle (!). Plus, the London strip scene was sleazy and the film lacks the great Western scenery of "The Far Country"and "Bend in the River"
Summary: OK - watchable for the Cooper-Lord Fistfight, the train hold up, and the bank robbery/Town shootout.
Stars: Gary Cooper, Julie London and Lee J. Cobb. 100 minutes.
Plot: A reformed outlaw becomes stranded after an aborted train robbery with two other passengers and is forced to rejoin his old outlaw band.
My 3rd viewing & my opinion is lowered. Good action scenes, Mann was always great at that, but a lot of dislikable, boring characters, not much of a story. No humor and I can't remember one line of dialogue. Lee J. Cobb hams it up and is way too young to be Coopers Uncle (!). Plus, the London strip scene was sleazy and the film lacks the great Western scenery of "The Far Country"and "Bend in the River"
Summary: OK - watchable for the Cooper-Lord Fistfight, the train hold up, and the bank robbery/Town shootout.
Major Dundee (1965)
Peckinpah Extended version.
Stars/Plot: Heston and Richard Harris. star as a Confederate POW and his Union Jailer chasing the Apache in Mexico.
Background: Heston made the movie to fulfill a contractual obligation and had no creative control over the movie except a veto over the director. With a script only 2/3 finished and with a budget of $3 million, Peckinpah was hired. Production difficulties almost got Peckinpah fired but Heston saved him. Peckinpah would later blame the studio for destroying his "masterpiece," but from reading his biography and Heston’s Diary its obvious the film was doomed from the start. After Dundee, Heston would insist on a completed script BEFORE filming.
Pros - Acting, Direction, First 110 minutes.
Cons – Last one third of the movie. Having set up two great conflicts between the Calvary vs. Apaches and Harris vs. Heston, Peckinpah drops both to concentrate on the tepid Dundee and Sandra Berger romance including a terrible Heston/Berger skinny-dipping scene which ends with Heston's wounding. The movie then becomes even more digressive as it follows Heston into alcoholism and his ultimate recovery and rescue. The film ends with a well-filmed but pointless French vs. Americans battle.
Summary: The first two-thirds is great but the digressive last part makes the film just an above average western. Rating ***
Stars/Plot: Heston and Richard Harris. star as a Confederate POW and his Union Jailer chasing the Apache in Mexico.
Background: Heston made the movie to fulfill a contractual obligation and had no creative control over the movie except a veto over the director. With a script only 2/3 finished and with a budget of $3 million, Peckinpah was hired. Production difficulties almost got Peckinpah fired but Heston saved him. Peckinpah would later blame the studio for destroying his "masterpiece," but from reading his biography and Heston’s Diary its obvious the film was doomed from the start. After Dundee, Heston would insist on a completed script BEFORE filming.
Pros - Acting, Direction, First 110 minutes.
Cons – Last one third of the movie. Having set up two great conflicts between the Calvary vs. Apaches and Harris vs. Heston, Peckinpah drops both to concentrate on the tepid Dundee and Sandra Berger romance including a terrible Heston/Berger skinny-dipping scene which ends with Heston's wounding. The movie then becomes even more digressive as it follows Heston into alcoholism and his ultimate recovery and rescue. The film ends with a well-filmed but pointless French vs. Americans battle.
Summary: The first two-thirds is great but the digressive last part makes the film just an above average western. Rating ***
That Hamilton Women (1941)
4. That Hamilton Woman (1941) - Korda. The story of Lord Nelson (Oliver) and his mistress in Naples Lady Hamilton (Vivien Leigh). Oliver and Leigh have great chemistry together (naturally) in this combination romance, period piece, and British propaganda film. Oliver makes an excellent, believable Nelson and Leigh never looked better or more attractive. A little long at 125 minutes (20 minutes could have cut easily) and the sea battles are obviously models but the star power, acting, production values and the story kept me interested. Rating ***
Diamond Head
Diamond Head (1963) 104 Minutes Stars: Charlton Heston, Frances
Nguyen and Yvette Mimieux. Plot: A Rich Hawaiian Pineapple Planter (Heston) must deal with his
racial prejudice when his sister falls in love with a Native Hawaiian and his
Chinese mistress bears his son.
An amazingly bad
Pineapple Soap Opera. The actors aren't to blame but the writing and supporting
cast are simply awful. James Darren and George Chakiris are supposed to be Hawaiian. Mimieux and Heston are supposed to be brother and sister. And Heston is
supposed to be head over heels in love with supposedly "Chinese"
France Nguyen. Note: even if
she wasn't "Chinese" I found it hard to believe a Hawaiian
millionaire who looks like Chuck Heston couldn't do better than France Nguyen.
But then maybe Rich millionaire Pineapple growers are easy to please. The
scenery was good to look at, but it couldn't overcome the silly "Not with
my My Sister you don't" racial subplot and the ham-fisted "Wow, white racism sure is bad"
message which the movie constantly pushed.
Summary: Rated only a 5.7 at IMDB - I'd rate the script even lower. And too bad they couldn't have
gotten some real Hawaiian actors to play the roles. Heston doesn't say much
about the movie in his Biography, but I assume he did it for the money, the
Hawaiian shoot, and a chance to make an anti-racist movie. Rating *
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)