Invisible Stripes (4 stars)

Invisible Stripes, from 1939, is a gangster drama starring George Raft, Jane Bryan, and William Holden, with Humphrey Bogart, and Flora Robson taking on supporting roles.  It's a film made before either Bogart or Holden had really hit their stride; in fact, it's only the 2nd credited film appearance of Mr. Holden.

At Sing Sing Prison, two convicts have served their time and are being released.  There's Cliff Taylor (George Raft), a man who has been successfully rehabilitated and who has every intention of going straight from here on out.  With faith in Taylor's ability to readjust to life in the outside world, the prison warden proudly bids him farewell.

Chuck Martin (Humphrey Bogart), on the other hand, is a repeat offender with zero intention of living a law-abiding life.  The warden knows Martin's time in prison has done nothing to change him; in fact, he would hold him longer if he could.

As the two men travel home on the train together, Martin finds Cliff Taylor's determination to go straight quite laughable.  With the "invisible stripes" of his prison record, Chuck insists, Cliff won't be given a chance and, therefore, will end up resorting to crime once more.  Sure that won't be the case, Cliff heads for home...hopes high.

The years in prison having given him an appreciation for freedom and for home, Cliff sees through new eyes the tiny apartment he shares with his mother (Flora Robson) and younger brother, Tim (William Holden).  What he formerly thought a dump now is beautiful to him.

To celebrate Cliff's homecoming, Mrs. Taylor has arranged a dinner party, with Cliff's girlfriend, Sue, in attendance.  It doesn't take Cliff long to discover that Sue doesn't want anything to do with an ex-con.

Unfortunately, Sue isn't the only one not interested in an ex-con.   Because of his prison record, Cliff is unable to get a break in the working world---no one trusts him, and no one wants to hire him.  When he finally does get a job, he is fingered as the "inside man" and arrested after the store is burglarized.

Brother Tim is in love with Peggy (Jane Bryan), and the two of them want to get married; however, due to insufficient funds they have been unable to set a date.  Anxious to be able to support a wife, Tim tells Cliff he has thought about crime.  Of course, Cliff is angered by Tim's talk and is determined to keep his brother from walking the criminal path he did.  Not convinced that honesty is the best policy, Tim informs Cliff that he has to see it in order to believe it.

Desperate to make money and prove to Tim that going straight is the only way, yet unable to get a break for himself, Cliff calls on his old relationship with Chuck Martin.

Though he has, in fact, gotten involved with Martin's gang and is part of a bank robbery, Cliff deceives his family into believing he has gotten an out of town sales job.  With the money Cliff sends home, Tim and Peggy are able to get married and Tim is able to purchase the garage he's been wanting.

Does Cliff's family discover he has reverted to crime in order to keep Tim from following in his shoes?  Does Tim stay on the straight and narrow?  Is Cliff able to break away from Martin's gang and live the honest life he really desires to live?  These are the questions which play out in the remainder of the film.

Invisible Stripes is a terrific film, with a great message about giving people a chance.  Although I watched this for my William Holden birthday month celebration, the film is, in fact, George Raft's.  He is wonderful here---humble, contrite, determined, responsible.  His character is extremely likeable and one I couldn't help rooting for.  He was a man who was devoted to his family, especially his momma, and I found his scenes with Flora Robson beautiful and touching.  In fact, I even got misty-eyed a couple times---not often that happens in a gangster film.

Adding to the great character traits was the sight of Mr. Raft in a suit!

Even in just a white shirt and tie, he was incredibly handsome.

William Holden---only 21 here---has not yet reached that maturity which would make him heartthrob material.  Oh, he's cute here, but in another ten years, he would be gorgeous!!

This film is out on DVD, so it ought to be fairly easy to track down.  Also, it is on the TCM schedule for Tuesday, April 17th at 6:00 a.m. (EDT).  George Raft fans will surely love this...as will William Holden fans.

Happy viewing!!

A Stolen Life (4 stars)

A Stolen Life, from 1946, is a touching romantic drama starring Bette Davis and Glenn Ford, with Dane Clark, Walter Brennan, and Charlie Ruggles taking on supporting roles.  A remake of 1939's Stolen Life, starring Elisabeth Bergner and Michael Redgrave, A Stolen Life provided Miss Davis with her first and only stint as film producer.  This film also provided Bette the opportunity to play a dual role...as twin sisters. Later in her career, in Dead Ringer, she would play twins once more.

The story begins when Kate Bosworth (Bette), an amateur artist, misses the ferry to an island off the coast of Massachusetts, where she was expected at the home of her cousin.

After much coaxing, she is able to arrange a ride to the island with Bill Emerson (Glenn Ford), a man who does some work for the nearby lighthouse.

Attracted to Bill and wanting to see him again, Kate conjures up a reason to visit the lighthouse---she will paint a portrait of the lighthouse keeper, an occupation which will take several days, thus affording her many trips to the keeper's house.

During the two weeks of painting, Kate and Bill spend much time together, and they both realize they are kindred spirits, in that they both enjoy the quiet, slow-paced life of the island. In fact, Bill had even passed up a more lucrative job offer simply because he didn't want the frantic lifestyle it would bring. Although Kate soon falls in love with Bill, she has yet to invite him to call at her house, and they schedule a lunch date in town.

When Kate arrives for lunch, Bill is taken aback by the change in her. Oh, she looks the same, but she is not as reserved as she has normally been. She is flashy and forward and flirtatious...and he likes it.

It isn't until Bill takes her home that he discovers he hadn't had lunch with Kate at all...but with Pat, her twin sister.

And unfortunately for Kate, who is very much in love with him, Bill falls in love with Pat, and the two decide to be married.

Devastated and heartbroken, Kate throws herself into her artwork, all the while trying to be a loving sister and a wonderful sister-in-law. But as the months go on, she finds that all is not well with Bill and Pat's marriage. Bill has had to take the lucrative job he didn't want in order to make enough money to support Pat's spending habits. And when she goes back to the island to try to regroup, Kate is shocked to find that Pat, also, has come back to the island, that she hadn't wanted to accompany Bill on his business trip.

While sailing on the bay one afternoon, a fierce storm kicks up, and the sisters are unable to get back to the island. Although they try to make it to the lighthouse, a huge wave submerges the boat, and despite Kate's endeavors to help her, Pat cannot hang on and is drowned. Just as she slips under the water, with Kate grabbing frantically at her hand, her wedding ring slides from her finger and into the palm of Kate's hand.

When Kate regains consciousness in the bedroom of the lighthouse, she finds that everyone is referring to her as Mrs. Emerson, and from that moment on, she decides that she will be Pat, the wife of Bill, the man she loves. But, as Kate attempts to take on the identity of her sister, she discovers things she never imagined...things which cause her to wonder if she can keep up the charade.  Does Kate continue to live a lie? Does Bill ever find out?  Those are the questions which play out in the remainder of the film.





Bette Davis, Larger Than Life (by Richard Schickel and George Perry) has this to say about A Stolen Life:  "It is an uninspiring work...trite and melodramatic, with cliche-ridden screenplay, A Stolen Life was the only film Davis produced, and although she had hired Curtis Bernhardt to direct, the result was undistinguished."   Funny, I don't feel that way at all.   While I readily admit that A Stolen Life is not one of Bette's most spectacular films, it is, nevertheless, interesting, exciting, and well-acted.  Though I think Bette is positively brilliant when she is being "bad," she also does a wonderful job when she's playing "nice."  Since she didn't often do that, though, it makes this film quite a treat.  Also, Glenn Ford is always solid and commanding...and very masculine.  Walter Brennan is always a delight, and Dane Clark is generally a big plus in a cast as well.  All that combines to make for a very pleasant viewing experience.

The film is out on DVD, plus it is on the TCM schedule for Sunday, April 22nd at 9:45 p.m.  I think it's a touching story and easily an enjoyable 4-star film.

Happy viewing!!

Happy Birthday, Bette Davis!!!

My #1 gal---the spectacular Bette Davis---is having a birthday today. (April 5, 1908 - October 6, 1989 )

Born Ruth Elizabeth Davis, Bette began her career on the stage in the late 1920's before making her way to Hollywood, where, by 1934, she was well on her way to becoming a major star.  Although appearing in both comedies and dramas, Bette's greatest success came from her dramas; she was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award ten times, coming away with the win on two occasions.  (Only Meryl Streep and Katharine Hepburn have received more Best Actress nominations than Bette.)  In my opinion, she was completely brilliant---and definitely Oscar-worthy---in nearly every role she ever took on and, therefore, ought to have won far more than just twice.

One thing I so appreciate about Bette is that she was far more concerned with putting forth a believable performance than she was in being a glamour girl---she was always willing to look plain if the part called for it...hideous, even, if necessary. In fact, when playing Mildred in Of Human Bondage, "Davis rejected any Hollywood attempt to make her look pretty in her death scene...(director) John Cromwell was so shocked when she walked on set that he asked her to modify it, but she refused...she wrote: "I made it very clear that Mildred was not going to die of a dread disease looking as if a deb had missed her noon nap.  The last stages of consumption, poverty, and neglect are not pretty, and I intended to be convincing looking."  (From Bette Davis, Larger Than Life)

About a year after getting into classic movies, I discovered this completely sensational actress.  Always a lover of intensely dramatic films, I was on the search for something meaty and highly charged, and knowing that Miss Davis was that kind of actress, I took a chance and branched out from Claudette Colbert, Loretta Young, and Audrey Hepburn.  I was hooked on Bette from that very first film---immediately, she went right to the top of my favorite actress list...and I am now on a mission to see all of her works if possible.

My all-time favorite Bette film is also my all-time favorite movie period.---Now, Voyager (reviewed HERE), also starring Paul Henreid and Claude Rains.  This beautiful movie, in which Bette's character transforms from an ugly, dumpy, emotionally unstable woman into a confident, beautiful one, is one of the films for which she received an Academy Award nomination.  Her character---Charlotte Vale---is my favorite female film character, and the way Bette brought her to life was completely amazing.  I cannot recommend this gorgeous movie highly enough.

Rounding out the list of my top five favorite Bette Davis films are:

2.  Dark Victory  (with George Brent---a role which is said to have been Bette's personal favorite---reviewed HERE)

3.  All About Eve (with Gary Merrill, Anne Baxter, and a host of others)

4.  The Letter  (with Herbert Marshall---the movie which began my love affair with Bette---reviewed HERE)

5.  Mr. Skeffington (with Claude Rains)

Limiting myself to five favorite Bette films is next to impossible.  These are all 5-star films for me, and, in actuality, there are a few more 5-star films which also could be on this list.

So, here's to you, Miss Bette Davis, on your 104th birthday!  You were the most incredible actress I have ever seen, and you will always be my #1.  Thank you for beautifying my life through so many fabulous movies---including my favorite movie of all-time.

Female on the Beach (4 stars)

Female on the Beach is a suspenseful romantic drama from 1955.  Starring Joan Crawford and Jeff Chandler, with Jan Sterling, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Drake, and Natalie Schafer taking on supporting roles, this is a film which will leave you guessing until the final two minutes.  This is one of those movies I caught for the first time during my Joan Crawford viewing month, and I enjoyed it so much, that it immediately made my list of five favorite Joan Crawford films.

In a fancy oceanfront apartment, a sobbing woman screams to the man with her that she will go to the police.  Shortly after making that threat, the woman steps onto the balcony---the man not far behind her---and within minutes has fallen to her death...or was she pushed?

The following morning, Lynn Markham (Joan Crawford) takes up residence in the beach house.  A possession of her wealthy late husband, the house had been leased out, but with Lynn wanting to occupy the home, the previous tenant moved out the night before...or so Lynn's realtor, (Jan Sterling), tells her.  She discovers later, when a detective (Charles Drake) comes around, that the tenant had died the previous night and that they're not sure whether it was an accident...or murder.

Lynn learns that a man named Drummond "Drummie" Hall (Jeff Chandler)  has been keeping his boat tied at the dock of her apartment, a practice Lynn has no intention of continuing to allow.  Drummie, a gigolo-type who was involved with the previous tenant, has been encouraged by his "keepers" to put the moves on the wealthy Mrs. Markham; therefore, refusing to allow himself to be so easily dismissed, he continues to hang around, and although his relationship with Lynn begins with animosity and anger, before long, they have fallen into a rather passionate affair.

Drummie's plan with Lynn---as it was with the previous tenant, Eloise---is to woo the widow, marry her, then get rid of her and help himself to her wealth.   At least that was his original intent...what he didn't count on was falling in love with the woman.   Suddenly, not wanting to scam her, he decides to leave his gigolo ways behind him and live an honest, upstanding life.  But does he really love her?  Or is that just part of the deception?  And what about Lynn, who has discovered the previous tenant's diary and learned of Drummie's seduction of her and his attraction to her money?  Can she trust his profession of love?  Or does she need to fear for her life?  These are the questions which will play out in the balance of this film.

Female on the Beach was a tremendously exciting and interesting film, and I found it quite suspenseful (in a non-scary sort of way).  While this was my first exposure to Jeff Chandler, the fact that I didn't know him really didn't matter to me---I was completely riveted by the storyline.  His character isn't likeable at all, but again, that didn't matter to me.  After all, people CAN change their ways, so I was willing to give him a chance.  I couldn't wait to discover if he really had changed...or if he was still up to his same old tricks.  As usual, Joan gives a top-notch performance.  And, wow, she was 50 here...and still looking quite fabulous, as evidenced in those very short shorts.  (I did think her makeup was a little harsh for her age.)  Mr. Chandler played his part very well too and was completely convincing in his role.  While I don't find him to be particularly attractive, there definitely was a virility which oozed from him, which I thought made him perfect for the part.  The chemistry between him and Miss Crawford was terrific, with their love-hate passion igniting the screen.

While I don't believe this film is out on DVD, it is available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE), so if this film sounds interesting to you, try to catch it there.

Happy viewing!!

The Key (3 stars)

The Key, a 1958 romantic wartime drama directed by Carol Reed and starring William Holden, Sophia Loren, and Trevor Howard, is one of those films which upon first viewing, I just didn't enjoy.  In fact, I came away from this film giving it only 2 stars; however, as I pondered the movie the day after viewing it, it grew on me, and while it will never be one of my favorite William Holden works, I saw some merit in the story---as well as very good acting---so, in the end, I decided this was a 3-star film.

David Ross (William Holden), a sergeant in the Canadian army, has just arrived in England for his latest assignment---that of commander of a rescue tug in the North Atlantic.  Since the tugs are not well-equipped weapon-wise, they are rather defenseless, making each attempted rescue rather like a suicide mission.  When David reports for duty, he discovers that his old friend Chris Ford (Trevor Howard) also commands a tug.

Wanting to get reacquainted, the two men retire to Chris's flat---a flat which he shares with a rather odd woman named Stella (Sophia Loren).  As Chris explains it, another tugman gave him a key to the flat just before he died, offering Chris the use of the place should anything happen to him.  Stella just happened to be part of the deal.

Three men ago, Stella was engaged to be married to the man who owned the flat; the day before their wedding, he was killed in a rescue attempt, and since he had given a key to the apartment to another man---with instructions to use it should anything happen to him---that man moved in and ended up in a relationship with Stella.  He, too, was killed in a rescue attempt, which led Chris to take ownership of the key and to get involved with Stella, who by this time, is grief-stricken by all the loss she has known.  Just before Chris heads out on a mission which will take his life, he gives the key to David, with the same instructions---take the flat...and look out for Stella.

Although David at first thinks Stella is just a common prostitute, it soon becomes apparent that she has loved the men she's been with and that she is so paralyzed by grief, she doesn't really even know one man from another anymore.

Eventually, David falls in love with Stella, and, loving him in return, she seems to withdraw from her grief for a time; however, before they can be married, David feels that his time is up and, so, passes the key on to another tugman.  How everything plays out is the balance of the movie.





The acting in The Key is fantastic!  Sophia Loren is completely sensational as Stella, a woman so scarred by loss and hurt that she is barely able to function.  Really, her portrayal of such a complex woman was simply amazing.  To me, she wasn't her usual beautiful self for most of the movie; however, that would be in keeping with a woman who has "shut down" due to depression.  William Holden---in the most gorgeous years of his career---is beyond handsome in the role.  I love him in his military uniform, and even when the jacket is off and it's just a white shirt and tie, oh, my, is he beautiful!!  Looks aside, though, he was wonderful in his role.  He brought such life and charisma to the character he was portraying.  I felt every emotion he exuded.  Trevor Howard also was really great in his role.  And, finally, Carol Reed's unique way of filming tense scenes at a bit of a diagonal made for an interesting way of looking at things.

Interestingly, if you read the TCM synopsis of this film, you will find that there were two endings made.  The ending on the version I watched was the one required by the Production Code.  Since immoral sexual relationships were not to be rewarded, the original ending (which TCM has in their synopsis) was changed, and the version I saw reflected that change.

This film may be a difficult one to track down.  While I do believe it is available on VHS, it is not out on DVD.   Additionally, I haven't seen it on the TCM schedule very often---I've been looking for it for about three years now, and this past month was the first time they aired it (that I noticed anyway).   However, the film is available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).  It hasn't been there for the three years I've been looking for it, but while I was putting this post together, I discovered that it has recently been uploaded.  If you are able to track it down or watch it through YouTube, I'd love to know what you think of it.

Happy viewing!!