Clash by Night (4 stars)

Clash by Night, directed by Fritz Lang, is a 1952 steamy, soap-opera kind of drama, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, and Marilyn Monroe.  The future sister-in-law of Stanwyck's character, Monroe is a supporting player and has somewhat minimal screen time, but the other three are pretty much equals...though Stanwyck gets top billing.

Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) has just returned to her small fishing village hometown, after ten years of being away in the big city.  Because things hadn't worked out as she had hoped, Mae is disillusioned, especially with regards to men.  At a local bar, she runs into fisherman Jerry Damato (Paul Douglas), who is immediately smitten with her.

After taking Mae on a date, Jerry introduces her to his friend, Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan), a cynical, unlikeable man, who is as disillusioned about women as Mae is about men.  It is not a good first impression for either Mae or Earl...they argue and quibble and exchange barbs within minutes of meeting one another.

Eventually, because she wants the feeling of being protected by a strong man, Mae agrees to marry Jerry; however, she knows she doesn't really love him, nor is she cut out for the housewife kind of life.  Although Mae soon gives birth to a baby girl, she's bored with marriage and with Jerry and finds herself drawn to the newly-divorced Earl.  Though she at first fights the attraction she feels for Earl, Mae soon succumbs to her passion, and the two embark on an affair.  In a small town, though, everyone seems to know everyone's business, and their relationship is found out.

What will Jerry do when he learns of Mae's affair with his best friend?  What will Mae do when she's forced to choose between stability with Jerry and their baby daughter and passion with Earl?  Can she figure out what she really wants out of life?  And Earl?  He says he loves Mae...but can such a selfish man ever really love?  These are the questions that will play out in this very interesting film.

Clash by Night stars two of my favorites...Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Ryan.  Stanwyck is my third favorite actress, and Ryan, one very under-rated actor in my opinion, is my co-#1 guy.  I'm not sure why I like that man so much...the characters he generally portrays are almost never likeable...they're usually cynical, angry "bad boys," which is not at all in line with who I am as a person.  Even so, though, I am completely crazy about Mr. Ryan, and when I see his name among the cast of a film, I always give it a try.

As an aside, I want to say that Clash by Night is VERY dated (translation: chauvenistic) with regard to a man's treatment of his wife.  There were several statements that made me cringe; however, it is what it is...a reflection of a different time, so I can easily overlook those statements.  I just wanted y'all to be aware because some might be offended.

This film is out on DVD and should be readily available and quite easy to track down.  (I got it from Net Flix.)  Anyhow, happy viewing!!!

Man of the West (3 stars)

Man of the West, starring my #2 guy Gary Cooper, is a Western drama from 1958.  While I am not a huge fan of Westerns, I DO occasionally watch them.  After all, many of my favorite stars, including my #2 guy, made plenty of them, and since I want to watch their works, I must occasionally view a Western.    Starring along with Coop in this one are Julie London and Lee J. Cobb.  Arthur O'Connell and Jack Lord, of Hawaii Five-O fame, have supporting roles.

Coop plays Link Jones, a former outlaw who has been walking the straight and narrow for many years.  Link has successfully left his thieving, murderous ways behind and has carved out a new and respectable life for himself in a little town called Good Hope.  As the movie begins, Link boards a train to Fort Worth, where he intends to hire a schoolteacher for his town.

While in a very remote area, the train makes a stop to add wood, and all able-bodied passengers are required to help.  At that point, a gang of outlaws jumps the train, and gunfire ensues.  The outlaws are not successful in their takeover, though, and the train pulls away...leaving three passengers behind...Link, Billie Ellis (Julie London), and Sam Beasley (Arthur O'Connell).

Knowing that  there won't be another train for a week and that it is 100 miles to the nearest town, Link suggests that the trio begin walking to shelter, and eventually they reach a secluded homestead...where Link comes face to face with his past.  The home is the hideout of Dock Tobin's (Lee J. Cobb) gang, with whom Link used to run, and with Link back with him, Dock intends to pull off a huge robbery in a nearby town.

Has Link really left his outlaw ways behind him?  Will he return to his thieving ways and join Dock in the robbery?  And when Billie is forced to undress for the lusting men, will Link intervene to protect her?  These are the questions that will play out in this movie.

While I actually enjoy other Coop Westerns more than this one (and even give them 4 stars), this one is very good, very solid.  I like the character of Link Jones...to me, he's the quintessential Gary Cooper.  I think Coop's portrayal of the outlaw-turned-good citizen was very believable.  It was a perfect role for him.  Lee J. Cobb was fabulous in his role.  He played outlaw Tobin to perfection.  And Jack Lord, Hawaii Five-O's good guy Steve McGarrett, portrayed a member of the gang.  As one who regularly watches (and enjoys) Hawaii Five-O, it seemed quite strange to see Jack Lord in such an evil role, but he did it very well. He and Coop face off in one brutal fighting scene.  (An interesting note---my son read on Wikipedia [which means it may or may not be true] that Jack Lord always credited Gary Cooper as being his on-screen role model.)

Man of the West is out on DVD and should be quite easy to track down.  Those that enjoy Westerns will definitely like this one.  Happy viewing!!

A Hole in the Head (4 stars)

A Hole in the Head, directed by the fabulous Frank Capra, is a delightful little film starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Edward G. Robinson, Thelma Ritter, and a sweet little boy named Eddie Hodges.  Part comedy, part drama, it also has a few sentimental moments.

Tony Manetti (Frank Sinatra), a widower with a young son, owns and operates a run-down hotel in Miami.  Since business isn't all that good, Tony is constantly having to worry about the mortgage and an assortment of other bills.  A gambler, Tony is always sure that his big moment is just around the corner, that very soon, he will hit the jackpot and his financial worries will be over.  All he needs is a short-term loan, just to tide him over until his riches come in. 

Tony's brother, Mario (Edward G. Robinson), and his sister-in-law, Sophie (Thelma Ritter), are quite comfortable financially, and since they've helped him out in the past, Tony is sure they'll be willing to help him out again...especially because of their love and concern for Tony's son, Ally.  Mario, though, doesn't want to enable Tony to continue gambling and living on dreams.  He wants him to settle down, to get a real job and a wife.  He wants a real home, not a hotel, for his nephew, so he tells Tony he won't give him a dime.  Unless Tony is willing to marry and settle down, there will be no money from Mario and Sophie.

Tony agrees to meet Eloise Rogers (Eleanor Parker), a kind-hearted widow his sister-in-law knows, but he's really not sure he wants to give up his carefree existence to marry her...even if it means that Mario and Sophie take Ally back home to live with them.  So, he tries once more to get the big payoff, this time asking an old friend to finance him, but when that doesn't work out, Tony is forced to make some tough decisions.

There are some very tender moments in this film...I even get lightly misty-eyed a couple of times.  There are many lighthearted moments, though, and even some hearty laughs.  I am so used to Eddie G. as a gangster, so I was unprepared for just how funny he could be.  And the way he and Thelma Ritter played off of one another was great.  She is always fabulous, and she certainly doesn't disappoint here.  Also, the chemistry between Frank Sinatra and little Eddie Hodges was amazing.  I loved watching the two of them together.  Yes, their characters had a strong bond, but I believe that bond was off-screen as well.  They just connected in a wonderful way.

Also in this movie, Frank has a chance to show his musical abilities with the delightful "High Hopes."  It's always a treat to hear Ol Blue Eyes sing.

Anyhow, this sweet movie is out on DVD and should be quite easy to track down.  I hope y'all get a chance to see it.  Happy viewing!!

East Side, West Side (4 stars)

East Side, West Side, from 1949, is a soap-opera kind of drama which features four big names in its cast.  Top billing goes to Barbara Stanwyck, with James Mason, Van Heflin, and Ava Gardner rounding things out.

Stanwyck and Mason are Jessie and Brandon Bourne, a married couple who have weathered the storm of the husband's infidelity.  The viewer is made aware that prior to the start of the movie, Brandon had an extra-marital affair with model Isabelle Lorrison (the gorgeous Ava Gardner).  Said affair ended, however, and Isabelle left town, and because Jessie knew that even if she divorced Brandon, she would never stop loving him, she chose to forgive his unfaithfulness. Though all is well in the Bourne's marriage at present, a friend asks Jessie what would happen if Isabelle returned to town.

Isabelle does, indeed, return to town and, in short order, begins her pursuit of Brandon once more.  At first, Brandon, determined to be faithful to his wife, resists Isabelle's advances, but she is relentless in her pursuit, and, in the end, he succumbs to her seduction, causing him to stand Jessie up at a party.

Jessie is devastated by Brandon's failure to arrive at the party, particularly when she phones his office to check on him and learns he had left hours earlier with Miss Lorrison.  To her rescue comes a new acquaintance, Mark Dwyer (Van Heflin), who has very quickly fallen in love with Jessie.  He escorts her home, where he cooks dinner for her and even manages to make her smile.  Mark tells Jessie that although he loves her, he is not in the wife-stealing business, so it's a good thing he will soon be leaving town.  When Brandon returns home that night and is confronted by Jessie about his infidelity, he is broken and repentant, and he promises to never see Isabelle again.

Can Brandon keep his promise?  Isabelle is sure that all she has to do is phone Brandon and he will come running.  Will he?  What about Jessie?  Can she forgive Brandon for, once more, being unfaithful to her?  And what about Mark?  Will he gracefully bow out of Jessie's life?  These are the questions that will play out in the film.

         
I thought the cast of this film was totally fantastic.  For starters, I am already a huge Barbara Stanwyck fan...she is my third favorite actress...and I enjoy almost anything she does.  James Mason...what can I say, except, wow, what a voice!  I have only recently discovered how much I like him...can't wait to see more of his work. Van Heflin is likeable and totally charming...very much the romantic.  And Ava Gardner is her usual stunningly beautiful self.  Each of these four was perfect in the role they played.

East Side, West Side is a very interesting, thoroughly entertaining film, and I highly recommend it.  Out on DVD, it should be readily available and quite easy to track down.  I hope y'all get a chance to see it.

Happy viewing!!

Lizzie (3 stars)

Lizzie, starring one of my favorite actresses, Eleanor Parker, is a 1957 drama that explores the subject of multiple personalities.  This is a role which, I think, really shows the amazing range Eleanor had as an actress.   She is joined here by Richard Boone and Joan Blondell.

Elizabeth Richmond is a quiet and rather dowdy-looking young woman, who suffers from forgetfulness and chronic headaches. Socially awkward, she refuses the invitations of her co-workers and, instead, prefers to retreat to the home she shares with her aunt. While at work one day, Elizabeth discovers a threatening letter in her purse, signed by "Lizzie." She has no idea who Lizzie is or why Lizzie would want to kill her.

Later that evening, after transforming into Lizzie, a bold and brash seductress, Elizabeth ventures out.  While enjoying drinks and flirtations with a man, Lizzie writes another threatening letter to Elizabeth.

Lizzie isn't the only personality living inside Elizabeth, though.  There's also Beth, the likeable "real" personality of this young woman.  It will take the skill of a good psychiatrist to uncover Beth and bring her to life.  That, of course, is the focus of this film.




Oh, there's a little treat in this movie, in the form of a very young Johnny Mathis singing "It's Not for Me To Say" in the nightclub scene.  Those who enjoy the velvet voice of Mr. Mathis will love it.

Happy viewing!!