Ingrid Bergman As You've Never Seen Her Before---The Visit (1964)

It's Ingrid Bergman as you've never seen her before---icy, hard, and incredibly vindictive--- in 1964's The Visit.  Also starring Anthony Quinn, this gripping drama features supporting help from (among others) Claude Dauphin, Irina Demick, and Valentina Cortese.  Based on Friedrich Durrenmatt's play Der Besuch der alten Dame, The Visit received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.  (For the record, I think Ingrid ought to have received a Lead Actress nomination.)

Two decades after leaving her small European hometown, Carla Zachanassian (Ingrid Bergman) returns for a visit---but it is not any kind of happy reunion she's seeking.  Rather, she has returned to destroy the man who disgraced her when she was a teenager.  Serge Miller (Anthony Quinn) had been her boyfriend/lover, but when Carla found herself pregnant, he refused to marry her. Beyond that, he bribed two men to testify that they had had relations with her, implicating her as a promiscuous woman.  Driven out of town because of her reputation and pregnancy, Carla fell into prostitution.

Now a rich and powerful widow, Carla wants revenge on Serge, and the way she accomplishes it provides for a powerful, riveting film---tackling such issues as greed, corruption, and hypocrisy.




As expected, this is not a feel-good film.  In fact, it's rather difficult to watch, especially as one by one, the townspeople, corrupted by greed, turn on Serge.  While both Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn are fantastic in their roles, Ingrid's performance is absolute mesmerizing.  I have never seen her this icy, hard, bitter, and unforgiving.  Wow!  She really "blew me away" with her portrayal of the revenge-minded Carla.  Her acting is what takes this from 3 stars to 4.

Made available on DVD in late 2012, The Visit is part of the inventory of Classic Flix.  It is also periodically on Fox Movie Channel (which is where I caught it).  If you like Ingrid Bergman (as I do), you will want to track this film down to catch her in what I feel is probably her most evil role. Her fabulous performance will not disappoint.

Happy viewing!!

The Hook (1963)

Regular readers of They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To know that within the last year, Kirk Douglas began his ascent up my favorite actor list.  Once I discovered what sensational work he does, I began seeking out more and  more of his films.  Last August, during Summer Under the Stars, TCM had a day for Kirk Douglas, so I set my DVR for several of the titles, and now, over six months later, I finally had the chance to watch one of them---1963's The Hook.  Also starring Robert Walker (Jr.) and Nick Adams, with Nehemiah Persoff and Enrique (Pancho) Magalona in support, this George Seaton Korean War-era drama is meaty, powerful, and incredibly gripping.  

In the waning days of the Korean War, a small group of American soldiers is responsible for loading oil onto a neutral freighter.  Before the job is completed, an enemy plane shoots at them, killing one of the GI's.  The remaining three soldiers capture the downed bomber, taking him aboard the freighter with them.  Speaking with his South Korean headquarters, Sgt. Briscoe (Kirk Douglas) receives an order to execute the prisoner, and with 19 years of service under his belt and a military pension on the line, Sgt. Briscoe is determined that the orders be carried out; he instructs Private Dennison (Robert Walker) to do the job.

Insisting that killing a man out of combat is murder, Pvt. Dennison refuses to do as commanded, which puts him at odds with his superior.  Having seen a fellow GI refuse to kill a Japanese soldier at Guadalcanal during the last war, Sgt. Briscoe insists that to refuse to kill the enemy is to be soft and that being soft will result in one's own death at the hands of the enemy. Besides, he tells Dennison, an order is an order, and it must be obeyed.  But Pvt. Dennison will not be swayed---he will  not execute the prisoner, whom he has come to see as a man like himself, with a name, a wife, a child.

Sgt. Hackett (Nick Adams), too, begins to suffer an agony of conscience and will not obey the command to kill the prisoner.  If the man is to die, it will be at the hands of the one given the order---Sgt. Briscoe.  But will he do it?  Or will Privates Dennison and Hackett be able to convince him that such an order is one not to be obeyed?  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.



Based on the French novel L'Hamecon, The Hook is a gripping, wonderfully-acted film. Kirk Douglas gives a terrific, mesmerizing performance.  He is absolutely superb.  Nick Adams is very good too, as is Robert Walker, in his first film appearance. Though billed as Robert Walker, this is Robert Walker, Jr., son of Jennifer Jones and Robert Walker. Wow, does he look like his dad. Enrique (Pancho) Magalona is also terrific.  Because of the language barrier between the men, his character speaks very little---at least with his mouth.  His eyes, on the other hand, speak volumes.

One word of warning---the racial slur "gook" is used dozens of times in this film.  Of course, given that it is a war film and was made in the 1960's, that is to be expected, but I always want to point out those things which viewers will find offensive.  The final line of the film---"Any day a war ends is a good day"---is as meaningful and powerful now as it was then.

A great discussion-piece kind of film, The Hook may, unfortunately, be a little difficult to track down. I don't believe it is out on DVD, nor is it on the TCM schedule anytime soon.  I think it's well worth keeping an eye out for, though. For me, it is easily a 4-star film.

Happy viewing!!

Best Film Discovery for February---The Slender Thread (1965)

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.

Happy viewing!

February's "New to Me" Viewings

Sometimes, you just don't get to watch as many classic films as you would like.  In fact, sometimes, you feel like you're going into withdrawals for want of a great classic.  That's how this past month has been for me.  With the Olympics taking the bulk of my TV viewing time in February, I found myself watching only seven classic films the entire month.  All seven were "new to me" titles.

1.  Harriet Craig  (1950)  Starring Joan Crawford and Wendell Corey.  An overbearing, controlling woman seeks to run her household and her husband.  She lies, she manipulates, and she doesn't care if she ruins her husband's career...just as long as everyone in her life remains under her thumb. Wendell Corey seemed like an odd choice for a leading man, but I think he did fine in the role. Joan is her usual, wonderful, dramatic self. A solid, interesting, 3-star film.

2.  The Shining Hour  (1938)  Starring Joan Crawford, Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young, and Melvyn Douglas.  A nightclub singer (Joan) marries society man Douglas, encounters opposition from his family (especially from his older sister, portrayed by Fay Bainter), then falls in love with his brother (Robert Young).  This wasn't a "hate-it, turn it off" film, but I wasn't overly interested in it and found it difficult to get through, so I'm giving it 2 stars.

3.  Stagecoach  (1939)  Starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, and Thomas Mitchell. Yes, I finally caught this much-raved-about classic, which sees a a pregnant woman, an outlaw, a prostitute, a gambler, the town drunk, and a few others traveling together on a stagecoach through Indian country.  I'm going with 3 stars on this, but it's  more like 3.5, and I will admit that I am beginning to see John Wayne in a more favorable light (which I began to do after catching The Quiet Man last August).

4.  Mother Carey's Chickens  (1938)  Up until yesterday, this touching dramedy was my best film discovery of the month.  Featuring the terrific ensemble cast of Anne Shirley, Ruby Keeler, James Ellison, Fay Bainter, Walter Brennan, and Frank Albertson, this charmer is definitely one I want to write about in a bit more depth, so expect a brief review in the next week or so.  I'm going with 3 stars on this, but it's very close to 4...definitely 3.5 stars.

5.  The King and Four Queens  (1956)  Starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker, with Jo Van Fleet (and others) in support.  After learning that there is gold on their property, a con man moves in on a widow and her four widowed daughters-in-law.  Starved for a man's attention, all four women are drawn to the stranger, and that suits our hot-blooded Clark just fine.  Mother-in-law Jo Van Fleet, however, is determined that her daughters-in-law will not succumb to the man's charms. Although I love Clark Gable as he aged, I didn't care for this movie and give it only 2 stars  Just an aside...Jo Van Fleet is terrific in this role.  I caught her in Wild River last year, and her acting took the film from 4 to 5 stars for me.  She's not one of the well-known supporting players...but she ought to be!

6.  Wuthering Heights (1939)  This is one of the films in the Majestic Hollywood book, so while I don't overly care for the story, nor do I care for Laurence Olivier, it was a film I had to watch.  It's the tragic story of Heathcliff (Olivier) and Cathy (Merle Oberon), who love each other passionately but who are kept apart because of Heathcliff's low social standing and Cathy's desire for status.  I am very middle of the road on this.  While the acting is terrific, especially that of Olivier, I never cared about either of the lead characters.  Cathy is incredibly selfish and proud, and Heathcliff is so brooding and angry that it's hard to have much sympathy for him.  I'm giving this film 3 stars---solid, enjoyable, liked it okay.

7.  The Slender Thread  (1965)  Starring Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft, this was my best film discovery of the month. It's a meaty drama which brings a crisis line volunteer and a suicidal woman together on the phone.  The acting is terrific---as is typical of anything starring the great Sidney Poitier.  I'm going with 4 stars on this.  (Read my review HERE)

With the Olympics behind us and a DVR full of several dozen unwatched titles, I expect that March will find many "new to me" films crossing my path.  I hope so anyway, because while I love watching tried and true faves over and over again, there is something quite exciting about catching a film for the first time.

Happy viewing!

Golden Boy (1939)

Another of the films highlighted in Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939 is Golden Boy, a boxing drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, and---in one of his earliest film appearances---William Holden. Based on Clifford Odets' 1937 play, this Reuben Mamoulian film, which features Lee J. Cobb, Joseph Calleia, and Sam Levene in support, garnered a Best Music Academy Award nomination.

Joe Bonaparte (William Holden) is a sensitive young violinist, who lives with his father (Lee J. Cobb), sister, and brother-in-law above the family's grocery store.  Although Joe plays the violin beautifully and could possibly have a future in music, he wants to make money quickly and, therefore, begins boxing for Tom Moody (Adolphe Menjou).

Joe becomes an overnight sensation in the boxing ring, but since a violinist needs his hands and he could possibly injure his hands boxing, he talks about backing out.  Moody knows that he has a money-maker in Joe, though, so he's not about to let him walk away and, therefore, instructs his secretary/mistress, Lorna Moon (Barbara Stanwyck), to change Joe's mind. Joe has fallen in love with Lorna, and after she leads him to believe she loves him too and that there can be a future for them, Joe returns to the boxing world, much to the disappointment of his father.

Because Joe is such a sensation, he quickly attracts the attention of another promoter, one who promises him bigger and better things.  Joe jumps at the opportunity and leaves Moody's organization, which infuriates Moody and sends Lorna, once again, to Joe's side in an attempt to change his mind.

Joe soon becomes disillusioned with boxing....but does he quit?  Does he return to the violin?  Does he really love Lorna?  Does she really love him?  Those are the questions which play out in the balance of the film.



Though Golden Boy is not one of my favorite Bill Holden films (or even one of my favorite boxing films), it is a solid, interesting, well-acted drama, and it gives an opportunity to catch Mr. Holden before his star had begun to rise.  Although it's easy to see why he went on to become the star that he did, at the outset, it would have appeared that Holden's career was over even before it began. The seemingly-endless boxing lessons, violin lessons, and dramatic coaching were exhausting to Holden; according to Majestic Hollywood, "It was a dreadful period for the young actor, and he expected to be replaced at any time. However, Barbara Stanwyck believed in Holden and went to bat for him.  Telling Columbia boss Harry Cohn that he hadn't given the young man a chance, she promised to work with him. With Miss Stanwyck coaching him, Holden regained his confidence and was able to take direction from Mamoulian; after Golden Boy, Holden was suddenly in demand and on his way to a successful, Academy Award-winning career.  He never forgot Barbara Stanwyck's support and help; in years to come, he would always send her flowers on April 1, the anniversary of Golden Boy's first shooting day."  [1]

Beyond Bill Holden's performance, is that of Lee J. Cobb.  He is absolutely terrific!  He would reprise his role in 1952, when Golden Boy, again, played on Broadway.  Interestingly, in that production, one of my other great loves---John Garfield---would take on the Joe Bonaparte role.

Barbara Stanwyck is my #3 gal (sometimes even #2), and William Holden is one of my "terrific 10," so even though Golden Boy isn't a favorite, I do enjoy their pairing here.  They have great chemistry together.  I'm calling this 3 stars, but it's more like 3.5

Out on DVD, Golden Boy should be quite easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!

[1]  Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.