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.
When I see Sidney Poitier's name among a cast, I know I am in for an incredible treat. Mr. Poitier excels at meaty, hard-hitting, dramatic roles, and since those are some of my favorite kinds of films, I always set the DVR, whether I've ever heard of the film or not. Looking through the TCM February guide, I discovered one such film---a never-heard-of Sidney Poitier title called The Slender Thread. Also starring Anne Bancroft, with supporting help from Telly Savalas, this 1965 Sydney Pollack drama was my best film discovery for the month of February. It's a 4-star film for me.
When her husband refuses to forgive her for a premarital indiscretion, Inga Dyson (Anne Bancroft) sees no point to go on living. She downs a bottle of barbiturates, then, wanting someone to talk to while she waits for death to come, she calls the local crisis center, where college student Alan Newell (Sidney Poitier) volunteers once a week. On this particular night, Newell is alone when the crisis call comes in; he soon discovers that the voice on the other end of the line is not the usual "prank call," but is, indeed, a woman in dire need of help. With only a short time left before the pills take their effect, Alan engages the troubled woman in conversation, desperately yearning to find out why she has chosen to end her life. (Her story plays out through the phone call.) Meanwhile, after a trace is put on the call, the authorities race against time to reach Mrs. Dyson before her life is snuffed out. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
The Slender Thread is an engrossing, exciting, mildly suspenseful film, with the usual superior performance I've come to expect from Sidney Poitier. Anne Bancroft, as well, gives a brilliant performance. Featuring a Quincy Jones score, this meaty drama features future stars Ed Asner and Dabney Coleman in bit parts. A recipient of Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction, The Slender Thread was Sydney Pollack's film debut, and it's easy to see why he would go on to enjoy the success he did.
Although not on the TCM schedule anytime soon, The Slender Thread is out on both DVD and Blu-Ray. If you are a fan of Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, Sydney Pollack, or hard-hitting dramas, you ought to enjoy this. I hope you get a chance to see it.
The Man with the Golden Arm, from 1955, is a bold and gritty drama which takes a hard look at the ugliness of heroin addiction. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starring Frank Sinatra (in an Academy Award-nominated role), Eleanor Parker, and Kim Novak, this film was quite controversial in its day. With the Hayes Production Code still in effect in 1955, and with the subject matter of drug addiction quite taboo, Mr. Preminger found himself moving forward on the film without receiving the Code office's seal of approval. The result is an extremely realistic portrayal of the ugliness of drug use.
The film begins with Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) returning home after a six-month stint in a federal narcotics hospital. Rehabilitated by his time "on the inside," Frankie, now clean and determined to stay that way, has learned to play the drums and is hopeful of obtaining a job with a local band; however, it soon becomes clear that his old supplier, Louie (Darren McGavin), and his unscrupulous former boss, Schwiefka (Robert Strauss), have no intention of making the straight road an easy one for Frankie. Though Frankie swears he'll not deal cards for Schwiefka again, nor will he ever have another fix, his old pals are relentless in keeping their hold on him.
At home, Frankie's paralyzed wife, Zosh (Eleanor Parker), reminds him continually that it was his drunk driving that landed her in her wheelchair. Controlling and clinging, and wanting Frankie to stay in the same bad-news surroundings which led to his drug addiction, Zosh discourages him about the potential band job. Knowing that as long as she stays wheelchair-bound, Frankie's guilt will keep him with her, Zosh doesn't want any change in the status-quo. If Frankie were to get a drumming gig---and be successful at it---he might make enough money for her to have treatment, and then he might leave her---so Zosh begs Frankie to keep working as Schwiefka's dealer.
With Zosh against him and Louie and Schwiefka bearing down on him, Frankie's resolve crumbles, and he heads to Louie's place for just "one fix." But one fix leads to another, and once again Frankie is hooked, because, as Louie reminds him, "the monkey never dies...when you kick him off, he just hides in a corner waiting for his turn."
On the sidelines watching Frankie's downward spiral is Molly (Kim Novak), a former girlfriend. With her love, support, and encouragement, Frankie may beat the monkey after all...or he'll die trying. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
While The Man with the Golden Arm is a stark, ugly, non-feel-good film, it is, nevertheless, an amazing, brilliantly-acted 5-star gem. (Bold, mature-themed, well-acted adult dramas often merit 5 stars from me. A film doesn't have to be warm and fuzzy for me to love it and rate it 5 stars.) The performance of Frank Sinatra is completely beyond spectacular. I've often heard people say that they think Sinatra couldn't act, and I always beg to differ with that statement. He was very good in nearly every dramatic role I've seen him in...but here, wow, he is nothing short of brilliant. I truly believe this is, without question, the best performance of his career and that he ought to have won the Academy Award for his work here. Although he was nominated, he lost out to Ernest Borgnine; while I've seen Marty and think Mr. Borgnine did a good job there, I definitely think the win that year belonged to Sinatra (even though the phenomenal James Cagney was also nominated for Love Me or Leave Me). Here is a video clip of Frankie's withdrawal scene.
Eleanor Parker is just as stellar as Frank is...she is completely amazing as the clinging, wheelchair-bound wife. Since she had already been nominated that year for her work in Interrupted Melody, she didn't even receive a nomination for Golden Arm. Having seen both films, I think she was nominated for the wrong one. Her performance here in Golden Arm is not only Oscar nomination-worthy, but also Oscar win-worthy. (She's wonderful in Interrupted Melody too...I just think here performance here is even more exceptional.)
Robert Strauss and Darren McGavin are terrific in their roles as the low-lifes who just won't let Frankie go straight. Otto Preminger's direction is fantastic, and the Academy Award-nominated Elmer Bernstein score is interesting and exciting...escalating to a fever pitch each time Frankie goes for a fix. Truly, the score adds much to the film's intensity. A bold movie for its time---and yet still relevant for the drug addictions many struggle with today---this is a definite must-see!
Out on DVD, The Man with the Golden Arm ought to be fairly easy to track down. If you enjoy bold, realistic, mature-themed dramas, you are certain to love this film. By the way, Golden Arm is my 20 year-old son's favorite old film, and Frank Sinatra is his favorite classic film actor. (White Heat and James Cagney are a close second, but Golden Arm and Sinatra are top dog for him.)
Dangerous, from 1935, is a romantic drama starring Bette Davis and Franchot Tone. Featuring Margaret Lindsay in a supporting role, Dangerous is the film which garnered the fabulous Miss Davis her first Best Actress Academy Award. Additionally, it is the film which, in many ways, was the catalyst for the long-running feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford---Bette and her co-star Franchot Tone were romantically linked during the filming of Dangerous, and Bette was quite in love with him, but he ended up marrying Joan later that year. We all know that a woman's jealousy and bitterness over a lost love could definitely bring about a years-long feud/rivalry.
Ever since one of her leading men was killed on opening night, stage actress Joyce Heath has been labeled a jinx. Though formerly wildly successful, the jinx label has Joyce's career in ruins, and now, a shell of what she once was, she has turned to the bottle. While drinking gin in a cheap bar one night, Joyce is recognized by one of her ardent fans---architect Don Bellows (Franchot Tone); though Joyce really wants to be left alone in her drunkenness, Don proceeds to tell her how moved he was by her performance in Romeo andJuliet. When Joyce passes out, Don takes her to his home, where she can sleep off the liquor.
With a house in the country---to which he only goes on weekends---Don offers Joyce an invitation to stay for the week. In the beginning, Joyce drinks first thing in the morning, but by the time Don returns at the end of the week, she has begun to look and feel better.
Though Don's initial intent is to help Joyce rehabilitate her life and, thus, restore her career, things go further than that, and he ends up kissing her. Eventually, he breaks things off with his fiance, Gail Armitage (Margaret Lindsay), and asks Joyce to marry him. Additionally, though Joyce still thinks of herself as a jinx and tries to talk him out of it, Don puts up the money to produce the play which will re-launch her career.
Rehearsals of the play go well, and it is anticipated that the show will be a huge success. It seems as if life is smiling on Joyce Heath again and that the jinx is broken...but is it? How everything plays out is the balance of the film.
Dangerous features another fabulous performance by the simply amazing Bette Davis. The character she portrays---struggling, boozing Joyce Heath---is complex, and it is those types of characters which allow Miss Davis's talent to shine brightly. Quite simply, I think she is the best dramatic actress of all time...nearly always turning out an Academy Award-winning performance. Interestingly, though she won the Oscar for her work in Dangerous, Bette is on record (per Robert Osborne's informational snippet) as saying that she didn't feel she deserved the win for this role. Though she thought her work in Of Human Bondage (for which she wasn't even nominated) the year before was Oscar worthy, she felt 1935's win belonged to Katharine Hepburn for her work in Alice Adams. Funny, I've seen Alice Adams, and I am absolutely not in agreement with Bette. I think she was beyond Oscar worthy here in Dangerous and that The Academy chose the right actress for the win. At any rate, Bette will absolutely not disappoint in this film.
Franchot Tone was kind and endearing. I really loved his character---a man of integrity and honesty. There was great chemistry between him and Miss Davis. It's easy to understand how love of that man could bring to life a years-long feud. There is a twist in this film---one which I never anticipated---and though I would have liked a different ending, I do think it had the right ending!!
Definitely see this one if you can. It's newly out on DVD (released last month), so you ought to be able to track it down.
The Lost Weekend, from 1945, is a powerful, hard-hitting drama starring Ray Milland, in an Academy Award-winning role. Directed by the amazing Billy Wilder, who also took home the Oscar for his work, this film boldly looks at the ugly world of alcoholism. Besides Milland's Best Actor win and Wilder's Best Director win, The Lost Weekend also took home the Best Picture award that year.
Would-be novelist, Don Birnam (Milland), has had a drinking problem for several years, and though he has just gone ten days without a drink, things are about to take a turn for the worse. His brother Wick and girlfriend Helen (Jane Wyman), both of whom feel like they must police Don's every action, are manipulated into leaving Don alone for a few hours. Since Wick had poured out the contents of the whiskey bottle and since Don has no money, Wick and Helen are sure Don will be fine for the couple hours he is alone.
Don's desperation for a drink, though, is stronger than anything else in his life, and upon discovering the $10 Wick had left for the cleaning woman, he heads out to satisfy his need. Hitting bars and liquor stores, Don downs one drink after another. Eventually, after he runs out of money, he resorts to begging, stealing a woman's purse, and hocking his typewriter in order to get the necessary cash for his next drink. By Don's own admission, he's not a drinker...he's a drunk---and as the truth of that statement plays out, Don may well find his life in jeopardy. (This clip is one of Don's particularly tormenting episodes.)
The Lost Weekend is definitely not a feel-good movie. On the contrary, it's ugly and painful...and extremely difficult to watch. However, since I am one who loves a powerful, hard-hitting story, I think this film is a total masterpiece. Everything about it is absolutely brilliant...Milland's acting, Wilder's direction, the cinematogrpahy, even the haunting, Oscar-nominated score. Combining all those things, and adding in the boldness of such a story in 1945, this film is easily a 5-star film for me. I cannot praise it highly enough. (Movie trailer below)
This film is out on DVD, so it should be quite easy to track down. Also, it is on the TCM schedule for March 30th, so you could catch it then.
Bigger Than Life, from 1956, is a hard-hitting drama which explores the very real problem of addiction to prescription drugs. This film stars James Mason, who gives a totally amazing performance, and Barbara Rush, with a young Walter Matthau in a supporting role.
Kindhearted schoolteacher Ed Lavery (James Mason) is having some health issues which cause him extreme pain and even, sometimes, to black out. A trip to the hospital reveals that Ed is suffering from a rare arterial disease, one which has an extremely poor prognosis. In fact, the disease usually proves to be fatal; however, his doctor tells him about an experimental drug which might be effective. Of course, Ed and his wife, Lou (Barbara Rush), are open to trying the drug, since it is really the only option they have. So, with a warning from his doctor about following the very strict dosage instructions and being aware of any behavior changes in himself, Ed is released from the hospital.
Early on, Ed's behavior begins to change; however, instead of mentioning these concerns to his doctor, Ed takes more than the proper dosage of pills. On two occasions, he even lies so as to get another prescription of the medication. One time, when asking his doctor for a refill ahead of schedule, he tells the doctor he dropped several pills down the drain; another time, he impersonates a doctor and writes a prescription for himself.
As Ed continues taking more than the prescribed dosage of medication, his personality completely changes---he becomes paranoid, angry, arrogant, condescending. His wife and son take the brunt of his behavior, and it all comes to a head one weekend when the doctor is away and unable to be reached.
I found this movie gripping. From about minute one, I was hooked, and it didn't let me go until the very end. James Mason, who I am only just now really getting to know, was spectacular here. I've only seen about six of his films thus far, but, surely, Bigger Than Life has to be the performance of his career. I read several reviews of this film on Net Flix, and many of the reviewers seem to think that this movie was a scathing indictment of the 1950's moral and social climate. I don't know, maybe it was, but if so, that message was lost on me. I didn't see that at all. To me, this was simply a powerful film which depicted the dangers of improperly taking prescription medication.
This film is out on DVD...it's part of the Criterion Collection. It should be readily available and quite easy to track down. Happy viewing!!
Crooner Bing Crosby had a birthday yesterday (May 2nd). At least he did according to some sources; other sources list his birthday as May 3, 1903. Either way, though, Bing's 108th birthday is this week, which makes him the man of the hour so to speak. To celebrate him, I thought I would do a review of The Country Girl, a 1954 drama starring Bing, Grace Kelly, and William Holden, which I recently enjoyed as part of a Bill Holden Movie Marathon.
Bing is Frank Elgin, an insecure, irresponsible, weak-willed actor with a penchant for drink. Because of Frank's inability to function, his wife, Georgie (Grace Kelly), has been the strong one, and she has carried him for years.
Director Bernie Dodd (William Holden), is looking for an established actor/singer for the lead in his current play, and since he has long been an admirer of Elgin, Frank is his first choice for the role. However, because of Frank's reputation as a drinker, Bernie has a hard time selling that casting to the producer. Against his will, the producer agrees, and Frank is given the lead role---a fact which further shatters his already-low confidence.
As production of the play begins, Bernie is furious at the control Georgie Elgin seems to have over her husband. Assuming that Georgie's strength is the reason for Frank's weakness, Bernie despises her and insists that she back off and that she not accompany them on tour. But there are things that Bernie doesn't know. There are reasons, of which Bernie is unaware, for the way Frank acts...reasons that could cause Frank to fall apart if Georgie is not with him. As the movie plays out, Bernie (and the viewer) will discover why Frank cannot stand on his own two feet.
Bing received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his work in The Country Girl. Although he didn't win (Marlon Brando did), I think his performance was far superior here to the performance he gave in Going My Way, for which he did win the Best Actor Oscar. Grace Kelly, however, did win an Oscar for her role in The Country Girl...she won the Best Actress category, pulling an upset over Judy Garland in A Star IsBorn. For the bulk of the movie, Grace is a somewhat dowdy-looking housewife rather than her usual, glamourous self. Perhaps that deviation from her norm is what swayed the Academy to give her the award in 1954. I thought her work was wonderful, definitely Oscar-worthy, but I will admit that I haven't seen the Judy Garland version of A Star Is Born. (I love the Fredric March/Janet Gaynor version, so I have been loathe to see the remake.)
Anyhow, The Country Girl is a very solid 4 star movie, with great performances by all three leads. It's out on DVD and should be quite easy to track down.
