Classic movies are not just antiquated films from a bygone era...rather, they are beautiful, well-acted, well-written gems that ought not to fade into obscurity. Truly, Hollywood just doesn't make 'em like they used to!!! I hope you'll discover some must-sees by your visit here.
Slander, from 1957, is a hard-hitting drama starring Van Johnson, Ann Blyth, and Steve Cochran. Featuring Marjorie Rambeau in a supporting role, Slander takes a look at the ugly world of tabloid journalism, and given that such media has increased probably a thousandfold in the 50+ years since this film was made, I think it is completely relevant to today.
H. R. Manley (Steve Cochran), publisher of the tabloid Real Truth Magazine knows that circulation is down and that to boost sales, he will need to get a very sensational copy on the newsstand. Telling his reporters that there is something dirty in everyone's past, he encourages them to dig up the dirt on a squeaky-clean person. Manley believes that the cleaner a person is on the outside, the dirtier they are underneath, and furthermore, he believes that he is only giving his readers what they want---juicy, scandalous truth. Manley's mother (Marjorie Rambeau), however, who is ashamed of her son's line of work, relates the gossip magazine to nothing less than the provision of opium, in that people may want it, but it is actually very harmful to them.
Scott Martin (Van Johnson) becomes the "dirt" target. Now a puppeteer who has just recently begun putting his kid-friendly talents to work for a breakfast cereal company, Mr. Martin is an ex-convict. Though he served a 4-year sentence for the crime committed when he was a 19-year old, given his current clean, good-guy, safe-for-kids reputation, the revelation of his past mistake will be a disaster, plus the publicity will be harmful to his wife, Connie (Ann Blyth), and their young son. Though the Martins plead with Manley to not publish the long-dead information, the only way Manley will refrain from doing so is if Scott passes on dirt about Mary Sawyer...a new movie star sensation, with whom he grew up.
Will Scott save his own reputation by ruining that of another? Will Manley listen to reason and come to realize that he is hurting people with his gossip magazine? Will he decide to pull the article about Scott? These are the questions which play out in the balance of this film.
Slander is an interesting, exciting film, and as already stated, is totally relevant to today. With the explosion of the internet, scandalous stories are available 24/7, and we all read them...without ever a thought to the lives which are broken as a result of the ugliness being published. It's too bad this film didn't convince us of the harmful effects of this kind of writing. Steve Cochran is his usual sleazy, nasty self here. Both Van Johnson and Ann Blyth are good and solid in their roles, but I think Marjorie Rambeau, as Cochran's mother, takes the prize. She is fantastic.
While this film is not out on DVD, it is available in its entirety on YouTube. I hope you get a chance to see it.
The Damned Don't Cry--a solid 4-star film for me---is a romantic crime/drama from 1950. Starring Joan Crawford, David Brian, Steve Cochran, and Kent Smith, this movie, which gets to the action immediately, also falls into the noir genre. This is another of the films I enjoyed for the first time as part of my Joan Crawford birthday celebration.
In the desert of California, land surveyors come upon the dead body of a notorious racketeer; with no clues immediately available, detectives look into the man's home movies, which reveal that he was somehow connected to Texas oil heiress, Lorna Hanson Forbes (Joan Crawford). A visit to Miss Forbes' home reveals blood on the carpet of her empty house, and not sure whether that means she, too, was slain, the authorities begin an active search for her. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the missing woman is reflecting on how she came to find herself on the run.
After her young son is killed while riding the bicycle she insisted he be given, money-hungry Ethel Whitehead (as Lorna was known then) sees no reason to stay with the husband she doesn't love. Tired of scraping and penny-pinching, yet barely getting by, Ethel wants more out of life and moves to New York where she begins a modeling career. In addition to modeling dresses, Ethel entertains her boss's out of town buyers by taking them to Grady's, a local gambling establishment.
Grady's is only a small part of a much larger operation of illegal activities---narcotics, prostitution, and gambling are all part of the business of George Castleman (David Brian), and Ethel, anxious to make up for all the lean years, soon gets involved with him. At Castleman's suggestion, Ethel invents an impressive past and takes on the grand socialite-sounding name of Lorna Hanson Forbes. Now the mistress of the wealthy, powerful Castleman, Lorna is privy to many of his business dealings, so when it appears to Castleman that his associate Nick Prenta (Steve Cochran) is double-crossing him, he sends Lorna/Ethel to seduce the man and discover what he is up to.
With Castleman's promise to be free when she returns, Ethel/Lorna sets out for California and quickly puts her plan into motion. What she didn't count on, though, was falling for Nick. Suddenly, she doesn't want to report his disloyalty to Castleman, but when reports from Lorna aren't forthcoming, the big man decides to investigate for himself. Will he find out that Nick intends to doublecross him? Will he realize that Lorna is in love with Nick? And what about the honest CPA (Kent Smith), who the flirtatious Lorna led right into the lion's den of criminal activity? And just which one of these men is the one thrown into the California desert? How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
The Damned Don't Cry is a very interesting, exciting, suspenseful film. Each one of the stars----Crawford, Brian, Smith, and Cochran---was great in their part. While Joan, at 44, may have been a trifle old to be playing the femme fatale role, that didn't matter to me. I thought her performance was believable, and even if a younger woman would have been more appropriate for the seduction of Steve Cochran (who was 33 here), I think Joan played the part perfectly. I thought she was fantastic...as was Cochran. He was his usual wonderful, sleazy self. David Brian, as the brutal crime boss, was terrific as well. The exciting storyline, coupled with the great acting, makes this a very solid 4-star film for me. The only negative I have is that everything seemed to wrap up too quickly, making the ending a bit abrupt.
The film is out on DVD as part of the Joan Crawford Collection. Other titles in that 5-volume collection are The Women, Possessed, Mildred Pierce, and Humoresque. Fans of Miss Crawford ought to really enjoy this film.
Private Hell 36, from 1954, is a fantastic film noir, starring Ida Lupino, Steve Cochran, and Howard Duff, with supporting help from Dean Jagger and Dorothy Malone. With February being Ida's birthday month, I am OD'ing on her films (along with the films of Clark Gable and Lana Turner, who also have February birthdays), and Private Hell 36 is easily one of my favorites. It is a film that was quite "all in the family" for Miss Lupino, as her ex-husband, Collier Young, produced it and co-wrote the screenplay (Ida herself being the other half of the writing team); her then-husband, Howard Duff, was one of the co-stars, and their baby girl, Bridget, portrayed the role of Duff's daughter in the film.
The film begins with a $300,000 robbery and murder in New York City; a year later, in Los Angeles, one of the bills from that job turns up, and police officers Cal Bruner (Steve Cochran) and Jack Farnham (Howard Duff) are assigned to the case. After tracing the path of the stolen bill, the detectives eventually come to Lily Marlow (Ida Lupino), a singer in a local nightclub, who informs them she was given the money as a tip. Needing her help to identify the man who gave her the hot $50, the police pressure Lily to get involved; though she would prefer to stay out of it, she reluctantly agrees to help, and eventually, as they work together on the case, Cal and Lily get involved with one another. Lily has grandiose dreams and champagne tastes, causing Cal to wonder how he can afford her on his cop's salary.
Days of staking out the local horse track finally pay off, and Lily spots her man. Cal and Jack give chase, but just as they are about to overtake the suspect's car, he careens off the road and lands in the bottom of a ravine. Not only is the man killed, but the stolen money---which he had in his possession---spills forth from his dislodged suitcase; as Jack shovels the cash back into the case, he pauses momentarily, knowing that if he slipped a few of the bills into his pocket, he and his wife would be on easy street. An honest man, though, Jack pushes the thought aside and places the money back in the case; Cal, however, has no qualms about slipping a few bundles into his pocket.
While Jack insists that Cal put the money back, Cal maintains that since nobody can prove how much money was there in the first place, no one will ever know they took any. Besides, says Cal, he knows Jacks wants the money as badly as he does---he could see the look of wanting all over Jack's face, to which Jack responds that "wanting it and taking it are two different things." Railroaded by Cal, Jack reluctantly agrees to go along with the theft, and the cash is hidden in a very seedy-looking trailer park, unit #36. Jack's conscience never stops bothering him, however, and he eventually comes to the place of being unable to look at himself in the mirror.
Meanwhile, Lily is suspicious of Cal's new-found wealth, and the police captain (Dean Jagger) has his own questions about his detectives' actions at the accident scene. Will Jack crack under the pressure? Will he be able to convince Cal to come clean? How it all plays out is the balance of this very exciting movie.
While this is probably considered a B movie, I went into it with high hopes...and I absolutely was not disappointed. Although it took about 45 minutes before the meat of the story took place (the officers' theft of the money), even up to that point, the film---a classic noir---was interesting and well-acted. Ida's character was definitely rough around the edges, which, I think, is when she often shined the brightest. Howard Duff was incredibly believable as the guilt-ridden family man struggling to make ends meet. Oh, and he has an amazing voice!! And Steve Cochran...wow! This was his show all the way...he was totally fantastic...probably one of his best roles. Although it would at first appear that Cal's descent into corruption was because of his desire to satisfy Lily's extravagant tastes, it quickly becomes evident that, down deep, he was a sleazy scoundrel---and Steve Cochran was completely stellar in roles like that!!
The chemistry between Cochran and Lupino was absolutely incredible...they sizzled and smoked the entire time. At one point, he nonchalantly---as though it was as natural as breathing---untied the strings of her halter dress to massage her shoulders, and another time, he massaged her feet. Even though both characters were fully clothed, there was incredible sensuality in those scenes!
The film's ending was quite unexpected and a little unsettling; still, though, I completely enjoyed this movie and easily count it among my favorite Ida Lupino films.
This film is not out on DVD; however, I believe it is available on VHS; additionally, it is available through Net Flix instant viewing. Definitely try to track this one down; if you are a fan of Ida Lupino, Steve Cochran, or film noir, I think you will thoroughly enjoy every minute of Private Hell 36.
Tomorrow Is Another Day, from 1951, is a surprisingly entertaining crime drama/film noir starring Ruth Roman and Steve Cochran. I caught this on TCM recently, and I must admit, though it sounded interesting, I really wasn't expecting much. To be quite honest, since I've never heard the film mentioned, and since neither Ruth Roman or Steve Cochran are mega-stars, I figured it would be a typical "B" movie...mildly interesting, but nothing I would ever want to watch again. In fact, I was so sure it wouldn't be a "keeper" that I watched the film without recording it to disc. Wow! Was I in for a surprise! This is a VERY good movie, far above the average "B" film; in fact, I easily determined that it's one I want to own, so after watching one time, I went back and watched again, recording it to a disc as I did.
As the film begins, Bill Clark (Steve Cochran) is being released from prison after serving an 18-year sentence for murder. Incarcerated since the age of fifteen, Bill has spent his entire adult life behind bars; he is warned by the warden that things are not going to be easy on the outside, and within hours of his release, he is experiencing the truth of those words. Duped by a publicity-hungry reporter, Bill soon finds his picture and story plastered across the front page of the newspaper. Knowing that he must leave town in order to make a fresh start, Bill heads to New York.
Lonely and wanting to meet someone, Bill visits a dance hall, where, for a dime a dance, he makes the acquaintance of taxi dancer, Kathy Higgins (Ruth Roman). Despite her lack of interest in him, Bill is taken with Kathy and, wanting to spend more time with her, asks her to show him around New York. Walking her home one evening, Bill comes face to face with Kathy's ex-boyfriend, police officer George Conover. When Conover gets rough with Kathy, Bill springs to her defense and strikes at the man, he himself receiving a return punch which renders him unconscious for a time. As Bill lies on the floor motionless, Kathy picks up a gun and shoots Conover, who then, wounded, makes his way from the apartment.
Upon regaining consciousness, Bill is a bit foggy about the events which took place; therefore, when Kathy tells him he shot Conover, he has no reason to doubt her. It turns out, as Bill discovers in the next day's newspaper, Conover's wound was fatal; knowing his ex-con status will give him little credibility in a self-defense plea, Bill realizes his only chance is to run...and he does so, with Kathy by his side.
Can Bill escape his past? Can he escape being charged with a second murder? Does Kathy ever tell him she---not he---pulled the trigger on Conover? These are the questions that play out in this very interesting, entertaining film.
Tomorrow Is Another Day is a fabulous film noir. It also features a surprising amount of romance, which I found very touching. I really liked Steve Cochran's character. Unlike the sleazy guys he generally plays (Storm Warning, White Heat, The Best Years of Our Lives), Bill Clark was a likeable guy, one I really cared about and rooted for. I thought Cochran was quite good in the role. Ruth Roman spends the first 1/3 of the film as a platinum blonde...definitely a look I've never seen on her before. Her character is a bit rough around the edges, but she has a good heart, and you can't help rooting for her as well.
This film is out on DVD, so I hope you are able to track it down. It is definitely worth watching.
Storm Warning, a hard-hitting 1951 drama that explores some very intense issues, including the ugly blight of the Ku Klux Klan, is definitely not a feel-good movie. Directed by Stuart Heisler, it stars Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, and Steve Cochran. Our family chose to watch this last night in honor of Doris Day's 87th birthday; however, it's really Ginger's movie. She gets top billing, and she more than steals the show. She's totally fabulous, and since my husband adores Ginger and was in need of a fix, we chose to watch Storm Warning. But even though it was totally Ginger's movie, Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, and Steve Cochran were all terrific in their roles. Really, if anyone thinks Doris was all musicals and comedies, this is one of several movies they need to watch in order to be enlightened.
The story begins when Marsha Mitchell (Ginger), while on a business trip, stops off in the small Southern town of Rockpoint in order to visit her sister Lucy (Doris). Lucy has recently gotten married to Hank Rice (Steve Cochran), whom Marsha has never met before. So, late one evening, she steps off the bus and into a horrifying new world.
Marsha barely gets out of the bus depot before all the businesses nearby turn off their lights and shut down. The few people she runs into are unfriendly and unhelpful; in fact, the cab driver won't even give her a lift. So, after quickly checking her large suitcase at the bus station, Marsha begins the long walk to Lucy's place of employment. Within minutes, though, she hears shouts and then watches a lynch mob attacking a man, even shooting him in the back and killing him. As Marsha hides in the shadows of a building, she gets a clear view of the mob; although most remained in their white-hooded Ku Klux Klan robes, two of the men...one of them being the man who fired the deadly shots...have removed their hoods, and Marsha is able to see their faces clearly.
Sickened by what she has witnessed, Marsha is extremely distraught when she finally connects with her sister. But she is even more distraught when she is introduced to her new brother-in-law and discovers that he was part of the lynch mob and that he was the one who fired the deadly shots. Despising Hank, yet not wanting to hurt Lucy, Marsha doesn't want to get involved and decides she will just hightail it out of town the next morning.
County Prosecutor Burt Rainey (Reagan) is positive that the man's death was the work of the Klan; however, as has been the case with many activities that have taken place in Rockpoint, no one ever sees anything, no one is ever willing to testify against the Klan. And without a witness to back him up, Rainey never has a case. This time, though, he is determined to indict the Klan, and after learning that Marsha had checked her suitcase at the bus station only minutes before the murder, he brings her to his office for questioning.
Although Marsha doesn't reveal the identity of the two men she clearly saw, she does tell Prosecutor Rainey that the mob were all wearing hoods. That is exactly what Burt needed to hear in order to pin the crime on the Klan; however, in order to get an indictment, he needs Marsha to testify to that, and he subpoenas her. Now Marsha can't leave town as planned. On the other hand, the Klan head, who has learned that Marsha witnessed the crime, tells her that if she testifies that it was the Klan, then her brother-in-law will be fingered as the guilty party and hanged. How can she do that to her sister?
Burt Rainey is having a similar dilemma. Over and over, his colleagues counsel him to drop the case, saying it is political suicide to try to indict the Klan, that he will never win another election in Rockpoint again. How can he prosecute the very people whose votes he needs to stay in office?
So, how do Burt and Marsha resolve their moral dilemmas? What will they do? Will they do what they think is right even when it is to their detriment to do so? Well the remainder of the movie chronicles the choices they both make, so in order to find out, you will have to watch for yourself.
Storm Warning is a very good message movie, and I highly recommend it. It's out on DVD and should be readily available and quite easy to track down.
