Band of Angels (3 stars)

Band of Angels, from 1957, is a Civil War-era romantic drama starring Clark Gable and Yvonne DeCarlo.  Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name, this Raoul Walsh-directed film features Sidney Poitier and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. in supporting roles.  Having never seen this film before, I decided it was the perfect addition to my Clark Gable birthday month celebration.  Given that it is based on the work of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, has a Civil War setting, stars Clark Gable, and boasts a fantastic director and a Max Steiner score, I had high hopes that Band of Angels might come close to the caliber of Gone with the Wind.  Alas, no...not even close.  While I found it to be an interesting, entertaining film, it didn't do for me what Gone with the Wind does.  I came away from the film only liking it...not loving it; hence, 3 stars.

Not knowing her mother was a slave, Amantha Starr (Yvonne DeCarlo) grows to adulthood believing that she is the privileged daughter of a plantation owner.  Upon her father's untimely death, however, Amantha is shocked to discover that not only is her father's estate completely in debt, but also that she---the daughter of a slave---is considered a slave herself and, therefore, part of the estate's personal property.  As such, she is taken against her will and shipped to New Orleans, where she is to be put on the auction block.

Though another man begins to "inspect" her, local plantation owner, Hamish Bond (Clark Gable) starts the bidding at $5,000, and with the opening bid that high, no one else bids on Amantha. After being told by Amantha that he might buy her, but will never own her, Hamish takes her to his home, where, instead of housing her with the other slaves, she is given a beautiful room in the main house. Thinking that there are strings attached to this treatment, Amantha tells Hamish she would rather go to the slave quarters than to be expected to be his woman.

Hamish, who has his own personal demons from which he's running, keeps his distance and never pushes himself on Amantha. One night during a storm, however, they do get together.

After their night together, Amantha's feelings toward Hamish change. So, too, do his feelings toward her, and he gives her her freedom. By then, loving Hamish, Amantha no longer wants to be free of him. However, when Hamish comes clean and tells her of his slave trader days, Amantha's love for him is put to the test. All this happens just as war is about to break out.

As I said, this film had great potential; however, for some reason which I cannot quite put my finger on, it fell short of my expectations.  I'm not sure why---probably because I was expecting it to be in the same league as Gone with the Wind, and quite honestly, there aren't many films which can compare with that masterpiece.  Gable's and DeCarlo's characters were likeable, and I found myself caring about them.  The musical score was beautiful...the storyline was interesting and historically accurate in many ways.  Clark, handsome and dashing as always, was extremely good in his role, and Miss DeCarlo was lovely and quite believable. With all these positive things going for it, I ought to have loved Band of Angels, but for some reason, I found myself only liking it.

Those who are Clark Gable, Yvonne DeCarlo, Sidney Poitier, or Civil War enthusiasts will probably enjoy seeing this film.  It's definitely entertaining and interesting...just don't expect it to measure up to Gone with the Wind.  The film is out on DVD, so it ought to be fairly easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!

The Defiant Ones (4 stars)

The Defiant Ones, from 1958, is an exciting racial/prison drama starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.  Produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, this film was originally supposed to have Marlon Brando in the Tony Curtis role; however, according to what I learned from Robert Osborne, Mr. Poitier was Mr. Kramer's absolute first and only choice for the role of Noah Cullen.  Because Poitier had another commitment at the time, filming had to be delayed; by the time they were ready to begin shooting, Brando was unavailable, so the role went to Tony Curtis, who, I think, did a totally fantastic job.

A truckload of convicts is being transported to a work farm, where the prisoners will work as part of a chain gang.  Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier), a black man serving an 8-year prison sentence for assault and battery, and John Jackson (Tony Curtis), a white man serving a sentence for robbery, are shackled together.  Though the two men completely despise each other, the right arm of Cullen and the left arm of Jackson bind them together; when the truck they are riding in is involved in an accident, the two men make their escape. 

Try as they might, Cullen and Jackson are unable to break the chain binding them to one another; therefore, though each man would prefer to travel in a different direction, they have no choice but to compromise and work together.  Over and over again---as they navigate a fast-moving river, as they climb up from a deep pit, as a lynch mob comes at them, as the lawmen hunting them grow ever-nearer---the two men must put aside their racial differences and support one another.  Eventually, as the men grow to respect each other, a friendship is formed.

This is an amazingly acted film.  Both Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis were wonderful in their roles; in fact, both men received a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for their work---a first nomination for each man.  It certainly seems to be that the loss of Marlon Brando was absolutely not a detriment to this film.  It worked beautifully with Tony Curtis in the white man role.

When the credits appear at the beginning of the film, both Curtis and Poitier's names are listed before the film title.  According to Robert Osborne's wonderfully informational snippets, this was the first film of Mr. Poitier's in which that happened.  And it happened at the request of Tony Curtis, who felt that Poitier's contribution to the film was just as great as his own.  Perhaps that seems like a no-brainer to us now; however, back in 1958, with the racial situation being far different, it was probably quite unexpected for Mr. Curtis to have made that request.  I'm glad he did, though, as he was correct---Sidney Poitier was just as much the star of the film as Tony Curtis was.

The Defiant Ones is really an amazing movie---well-acted, well-directed, and featuring the kind of bold storyline to which I tend to gravitate.  I definitely highly recommend it.  Although I'm not entirely certain the film is out on DVD, TCM will be airing it Friday, February 17th, at 2:30 p.m. (EST).

Happy viewing!!

Another Time, Another Place (3 stars)

Another Time, Another Place, from 1958, is a romantic drama starring Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan, Glynis Johns, and, in one of his first film appearances, a very young Sean Connery.  A first-time viewing of this film, which is set in England in 1945, was part of my Lana Turner birthday celebration.

Covering the war from London are BBC reporter Mark Trevor (Connery) and American newspaper correspondent Sara Scott (Turner).  The two have fallen deeply in love (before the film begins), and despite the fact that Sara told her boss, Carter Reynolds (Barry Sullivan), she would marry him after returning from Europe, she informs Mark of her intent to break the engagement.  Believing Mark and she have a future, Sara plans to tell Carter that she's in love with another man and will be marrying him.  Mark is dismayed at Sara's words, though, for how can he marry her when he's already married?  Coming clean with Sara, Mark admits he has a wife and son back home.

Although devastated by the news of Mark's marriage, Sara believes that what she and Mark have is real. Sure he will choose her over his wife, she tells Mark to let her know when he has made his decision.  Promising to come back to her, Mark heads to Italy to cover the German surrender; however, he never makes it to Italy or back to Sara, as he is killed in a plane crash. 

Brokenhearted and reeling from her loss, Sara feels the only thing that will help her through her grief is to travel to Mark's hometown...to see the town he lived in...to walk the streets where he walked.  Going there, she makes the acquaintance of Mark's wife, Kay (Glynis Johns), and their son, Brian.  Not aware that Sara had been having an affair with Mark---indeed, not even aware he had been unfaithful to her---Kay welcomes Sara into her life and home.  As Sara attaches herself more and more firmly to Mark's family, both Mark's best friend and Sara's boss, Carter, beg her to leave before Kay begins to suspect Mark's infidelity.

Does visiting Mark's home provide Sara with the solace she seeks?  Does Mark's wife come to realize he had been having an affair?  Can Carter, who still loves Sara, convince her to let go of the past and move into the future with him?  These are the questions that play out in this mildly heart-tugging film.

While Another Time, Another Place is a solid, 3-star viewing experience, it is not one of my favorite Lana films. With the exception of Glynis Johns' character, the other characters in the film are not overly likeable. I especially thought Lana's character was selfish and hard to root for. And in the end, I was unhappy with the way she handled things. Still, though, Lana was her beautiful self, and I thought she put in a good performance.  Just an aside, though...I did think her wardrobe was a bit too glamourous and not quite in keeping with that of a wartime news reporter.

One thing really struck me as I watched this film---the credits said "Introducing Sean Connery."  I wondered how many people viewing this way back in 1958 would have had any inkling of the enormity of Mr. Connery's future success.  Could anyone have foreseen his amazing popularity?  Or that his career would span at least five decades?  Or that he would one day be considered "the sexiest man alive."   Did anyone viewing this film realize the newcomer was far more than just a "here today, gone tomorrow" kind of actor?  This movie is worth watching just for the opportunity to see the very young Mr. Connery in one of his earliest roles.  Beyond that, if you are a Lana Turner or Glynis Johns fan, you will probably enjoy this. Out on DVD, Another Time, Another Place should be fairly easy to track down.  Also, it is available on Net Flix instant viewing.

Happy viewing!!

Happy Birthday, Lana Turner

Today is the 91st birthday of my newest top-10 favorite actress...the beautiful Lana Turner.  (February 8, 1921-June 29, 1995)

In the past year, I have found myself eating my words with regard to the lovely Lana.  When I reviewed Madame X  last year (HERE), I specifically said that I wasn't much of a Lana Turner fan.  In fact, I wrote, I didn't much care for her. Well, my friends, I have changed my tune!!  I now completely adore her and wholeheartedly consider her one of my most favorite actresses--just in the past three months she not only made my top 20, but she has almost reached my top 5!!  Her roles are generally meaty and dramatic (my favorite kind of film!), and I think she excels in that kind of a role.  Without question, I have enjoyed nearly every film of hers I've seen in the past year.  What's more, she was such an incredible beauty...surely, one of the most beautiful actresses ever...and she was always so stunningly clothed.  Just looking at her is a delight.

My absolute favorite Lana Turner film is Madame X, a  total sobber which is easily in my top 5 favorite movies of all-time.  Even during the days when I thought I didn't like Miss Turner, I still loved this beautiful, heart-rending film, which ranks up there as the tearjerker of all tearjerkers.  Lana's performance in  Madame X was beyond spectacular---surely it was the performance of her career.  Read my review of that beloved film HERE.

Rounding out my list of five favorite Lana Turner films are:

2.  The Postman Always Rings Twice  (with John Garfield---reviewed HERE)

3.  Homecoming  (with Clark Gable---reviewed HERE)

4. Portrait in Black  (with Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, and Sandra Dee---reviewed HERE)

5.  Imitation of Life  (with Juanita Moore, John Gavin, and Sandra Dee---reviewed HERE)

(As of now, these are my five favorite Lana Turner films; I expect this list to change as I see more of her films.)

As an aside...I've shared before that for a few years before I got married, I lived with my grandparents.  Of course, like most people of that generation, they had long been in love with the films and stars from Hollywood's Golden Era.  My grandmother's favorite actor was Ray Milland, and my grandfather's favorite actress was Lana.  Actually, I remember him raving about her way back when I was a child in the 1960's...and when I lived with them in the early 1980's, he was still raving about her.

One of the TV shows my grandparents enjoyed watching was Falcon Crest, and the 60+ year old Lana Turner was a guest star on that show for several episodes. I found a video on YouTube---wow, she aged beautifully.  Elegant and beautiful at 61 years of age!  No wonder my grandfather was so smitten with her!

So, Miss Lana Turner, I am remembering you on what would be your 91st birthday.  You made so many wonderful films, including several which really touch my heart and bring me to tears. Thank you for beautifying my life through your movies.

By Love Possessed (4 stars)

By Love Possessed, from 1961, is a soap opera drama directed by John Sturges and starring Lana Turner, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jason Robards, Barbara Bel Geddes, Thomas Mitchell, and George Hamilton.  While Lana takes top billing in the film, most of the other stars have equal (or more) screen time.  Always a fan of these kinds of melodramas, I've had this one on my must-watch list for a couple months; as part of my Lana Turner birthday celebration, I decided now was the perfect time to watch it.

This ensemble story follows the lives and loves of three law partners and their families.  There's Arthur Winner (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), a rather rigid, emotionless man whose wife, Clarissa (Barbara Bel Geddes), feels there is no passion in their marriage, even telling him that their marriage has been more a business merger than anything.  Living by the letter of the law and allowing for no gray areas, self-righteous Arthur has set a standard so high no one can measure up.  His college-age son, Warren (George Hamilton), especially, feels inadequate as far as his father is concerned.

Julius Penrose (Jason Robards) is married to Marjorie (Lana Turner), a woman with whom he cannot be intimate due to an accident which had left him impotent.  Lonely and longing for love, Marjorie finds what she's looking for in the bottle and in the arms of Arthur Winner.

Noah Tuttle (Thomas Mitchell), senior partner of the firm, is Arthur's father-in-law; advancing in years, Noah is beginning to show signs of incompetency.  Though Arthur and Julius try to encourage him to retire, Noah is adamant that he still has the mental capacity to do his job. 

Warren, rebelling against his father's impossibly high expectations, has no desire to join the law firm...or even stay in his hometown.  Rejecting the love of the girl who has loved him since childhood, Warren welcomes the attentions of a rather loose woman...an action which will affect all the people around him and cause them to re-evaluate their lives. 

This kind of melodramatic movie is definitely my cup of tea, and I greatly enjoyed this film.  Each storyline was interesting and captured my attention, and the Elmer Bernstein score was beautiful. The acting, while not Academy Award-winning, was solid, especially that of Turner, Zimbalist, and Robards. I do believe things were wrapped up a bit too quickly and cleanly; however, with a 2-hour time limit, that often seems to be the case.  At any rate, while somewhat unrealistic because of the neat and tidy ending, I still consider By Love Possessed to be an enjoyable, entertaining viewing experience.  It is easily, for me, a 4-star film and one of my favorite Lana Turner vehicles.

Out on DVD, this film should be fairly easy to track down.  It is also available on Net Flix instant viewing.  If you are a fan of these soap opera kinds of dramas, definitely look for this one.  I feel sure you will like it.

Happy viewing!!!