Bad Girl

The cover and the title have nothing to do with the story.  It is about a couple going through the worries of the depression, pregnancy, and marriage.  It was ok.  Frank Borzage won an Oscar for this but he made better movies.  Sally Eilers was a discovery.  She was good in this.  She's a good girl if anything in the movie.  I'll be looking for her other movies. 

The Whistler

Richard Dix is depressed after the death of his wife.  He hires a hitman to kill him.  Only it turns out his wife is alive.  Now he is trying to stop the hitman from doing the job.  This was based on a radio series.  William Castle directs.  He does a good job but his movies would get more cheesy and better.  An ok movie.

Johnny Angel

So so noir about George Raft clearing his father's name of crime.  I thought the leading star Signe Hasso was pretty and I'm going to look into her work.  The real star of this movie though is Hoagy Carmichael.  He plays a cab driver.  He sings Memphis in June here. I immediately bought a cd of his after this movie.

The Doorway to Hell

Lew Ayres quits a life of crime only to be sucked back in.  His girl doesn't care for him going soft and falls for James Cagney instead.  Lew does ok in this but James who was billed sixth in the cast easily steals the show.  You can see he is a star.  The Public Enemy would come soon for him.

Slightly Dangerous

Lana Turner gets sick of being Peggy, who works as an ice cream scooper.  She dyes her hair blonde and pretends to be the lost child of a millionaire.  Only her boss is on her trail.  I've watched two Lana Turner movies in the past week.  It's been fun watching these, only they're not as good as her later work like Imitation of Life and The Postman always rings twice.  She was fun in this.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Dana Andrews is charged with murder.  His fiancée Joan Fontaine doesn't believe it.  The movie has a nice twist ending.  This was a good Fritz Lang film.  He did better in his career.  However it's nice to see his work.

The Silent Call

A family moves from Nevada to Los Angeles.  They leave the dog behind.  Only their dog manages to follow them to the new place.  In the mean time the boy is angry with his father for leaving their dog behind.  I've seen better dog movies but this one was ok. 

Dancing Co-Ed

Lana Turner gets enrolled in college after a scheme has been made.  There will be a dancing contest but the winner has to be from the nearby college.  Lana is already considered the winner.  Only she realizes that she likes college.  A guy gets wind of the story and gets sore at Lana.  The movie was ok.  I thought the guy was kind of cheap for buying her hot dogs for meals throughout the movie.  He was also kind of a jerk.  Ann Rutherford plays Lana's roommate and she's cute in this.

Pride and Prejudice

I read Jane Austen's book a month ago so I decided I would watch the movies of Pride and Prejudice.  Frankly I think the BBC version and the Keira Knightley movie are better.  This was just ok.  Laurence Olivier plays a good Mr. Darcy.  I think that was perfect casting.  I also think Ann Rutherford was cute in this.  It's interesting to see that Aldous Huxley co-wrote the screenplay.

Our Modern Maidens

Joan flirts with a diplomat to further her fiancé's career but ends up falling for the diplomat.  Anita Page is really pretty in this role.  She steals the show from Joan as a woman who is in love with Joan's fiancé.  Everything works out for the both of them though.  Joan is just ok in this movie.  Frankly I think she became a better actress with time.

One Touch of Venus

This is a cute movie.  Ava Gardner plays a statue of Venus come to life.  She falls for Robert Walker.  Meanwhile Robert gets in trouble with his girlfriend and his job.  Ava Gardner looks lovely in this movie and she has a lot of fun in it.  Dick Haymes plays his friend.

Rhapsody in Blue

This is a 2 hour and a half movie about the life of George Gershwin.  It shows him starting off with composing songs then getting into more serious business like Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess.  He died in his late 30's.  I was surprised by how accomplished he was despite his young death.  The only thing I don't like about this movie is that his brother Ira Gershwin who was a great songwriter is just a side note.  Oscar Levant, the pianist, who was friends with the Gershwins, also stars in this.  He was fun in this and An American in Paris.

Chained

I've been watching some Joan Crawford films lately.  In this one she's having an affair with an old married man.  She then meets Clark Gable on a cruise ship and falls for him.  But then the old man gets a divorce from his wife.  She has to choose between the two men.  Clark Gable is charming in this. 

This Woman is Dangerous

Joan Crawford plays a criminal who goes under eye surgery.  The doctor and her fall in love but she still cares about her gang of criminals.  Can she move on with her life?  Dennis Morgan who played the doctor seemed too young for her.  Joan Crawford did a good job in this movie.  It wasn't one of her essential films like Mildred Pierce but for a Crawford fan it will do. 

Night Must Fall

Robert Montgomery lives with Rosalind Russell and Dame May Whitty.  Rosalind begins to suspect him of the local murders.  She also starts to fall for him.  Dame May Whitty and Robert Montgomery were nominated for this.  This is a different role for Robert Montgomery.  He usually played comic roles.  It's different to see him as a bad guy.  It was a good movie.

Gentleman Jim

Errol Flynn plays a bank clerk who becomes a boxer who wins the title of heavyweight champion.  Alexis Smith plays the love interest who financially supports him at one point in this movie.  They have a love hate relationship.  Alexis is beautiful and good in this movie.  I'll have to look into her movies.  As for Flynn I've haven't really watched his movies.  He's worth a look too.

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

This has a very low rating on imdb.com  I didn't think it was good but I didn't think it was as bad as a 3.8.  Two people meet at a bus and discuss the people they're engaged to.  What they don't know is that the both of them are making them up.  The problem is they've fallen for each other in the mean time.  The reason to get this is Preity Zinta.  She's one of my favorite Indian actresses.  Also it was kind of trashy which is rare for an Indian movie. 

Make me a Star and Merton of the Movies

I watched two movies with the same plot.  Make me a Star was a remake of a silent and Merton of the Movies is another remake of the same plot.  Out of these two movies Merton of the Movies was better because it was more charming and Red is a better comedic actor than Stuart Erwin of Make me a Star.  The movies are about an actor thinking he is playing a serious actor when really the movie's a comedy.  In Make me a Star it's a western, in Merton of the Movies it's a silent.  Joan Blondell was really charming in Make me a Star though which makes it worth a watch though.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

This is one of the best Indian movies I've watched.  It stars two very charismatic actors.  Kajol is pretty here.  The beginning of the movie starts as a road journey between Shah Rahn Khan and KajolThey fall in love only she is in engaged to another in an arranged marriage.  The second half of the movie is them fighting against this.   It's funny and a sweet movie.  Shah Rahn Khan and Kajol went on to make other movies with each other. 

Cruise into Terror

I watched this made for tv movie more than ten years ago.  I watched 30 minutes with my sister and she quit it.  The first thirty minutes of this movie are boring.  It's the Love Boat.  However then they find an Egyptian sarcophagus that has Satan in it.   The preacher of course goes on about it.  I told my sister it got hammy after thirty minutes.  I found this on modcinema and was happy about purchasing it and watching it again. 

The People

I love Zenna Henderson's short stories of the people.  This short made for tv movie is an adaptation of those stories.  It's about an alien race of children who can do things like float in the air.   Their teacher Kim Darby supports their decision to remember their home.  William Shatner plays a minor role.  The short stories are better.  I watched this movie years ago and it made me seek the short stories.  I got this off modcinema since there's various complaints about the copy on Amazon.

Susan Slept Here

Debbie plays a 17 year old juvenile delinquent who marries screenwriter Dick Powell to keep her out of trouble.  Only she wants to stay married.  Anne Francis plays his girlfriend who is mad at the situation.  I thought Dick Powell was too old to play the 35 year old screenwriter.  Debbie and Anne are a lot of fun to watch. 

An American Tragedy

This movie was adapted from the classic by Theodore Dreiser.  A Place in the Sun which was also adapted from it was a much better movie.  This movie is about a man who falls for Sylvia Sidney who works for his company.  Only he falls for rich Frances Dee and he arranges for a boating accident with Sylvia Sidney.  The problem I had with this movie is that Sylvia Sidney was supposed to play a dowdy girl and she was one attractive actress.  I just couldn't buy it.  It was ok.  There's better precodes.   

See no Evil

My mom once told me that Mia Farrow's career would have been better if she hadn't met Woody Allen.  I love The Purple Rose of Cairo so I disagreed with her.  However after seeing this and Rosemary's Baby I have to agree with my mom.  Mia Farrow was a great horror actress.
Mia Farrows plays a blind girl.  One day she goes horseback riding with her boyfriend and comes back and discovers that her family's been murdered.  The man who murdered them is still lingering around.  This was ok.  If you're a Mia Farrow fan it's definitely a must to watch.

Crowhaven Farm

I loved Hope Lange in the 50's.  She had such charisma in The Best of Everything and Peyton Place.  So when I learned she was in this made for tv horror movie I was thrilled.  This is one of the better made for tv horror movies in the 70's.  Actually I think it's an unique genre.  There were pretty scary movies like Bad Ronald and Don't be afraid of the Dark.
In Crowhaven Farm Hope Lange discovers that she had a past life as a witch.  She learns that there are people in the town who still want to get revenge at her for events that happened hundreds of years ago.  Her husband thinks she's crazy but he eventually realizes that the truth behind what his wife is saying.  The couple also adopt a 10 year old girl from the town and she proves to be evil. 
This sells on Ebay.  It's not officially on DVD.

Mr. Sardonicus

Mr. Sardonicus .is a man with a disfigured face.  His wife Audrey Dalton loves another, a doctor.  The doctor comes to try to see if he can save Mr. Sardonicus' face.  The ending which is bleak is pretty cool.  William Castle may have been a gimmicky director but I feel he is not given enough credit.  He was a fun horror director and his movies always bring me joy.

The Great Sinner

Gregory Peck plays a man out for self destruction.  He doesn't gamble in the beginning of the movie but by the end he's an addict.  Ava Gardner looks really pretty in this movie.  It's an ok movie.  I'm going to watch To Kill a Mockingbird again soon though.  Gregory Peck is such a good actor.

The Devil and Miss Sarah

This is a made for tv movie from the 70's.  It's about a sheriff who escorts an evil man across the desert with his wife.  The evil man plays with the wife the whole movie and she eventually gives in. It's an ok movie.  There was a better western horror movie from the 70's called Black Noon but I haven't seen that in years.  You can find this on modcinema. 

Term of Trial

Sarah Miles, a student of Laurence Olivier gets turned down by him so she goes to the police.  Sarah Miles and Laurence Olivier do a good job.  I've never heard of Sarah Miles.  I need to watch Ryan's Daughter some time to find out more about her.  She does a good job.  The last scene with Laurence's wife Simone Signoret is interesting.  It's not what I expected.  The wife is unpredictable. 

The Squall

Myrna Loy plays a gypsy vamp who destroys every relationship in the household.  The men can't resist her.  Myrna Loy is an excellent actress but not in this movie.  She overdoes it.  Loretta Young plays the innocent girl and she's the prettiest I've ever since her on screen.  This movie is a bit campy.  It's ok. 

High Cost of Loving

Jose Ferrer directed and starred in this movie about a man who is afraid he is going to lose his job.  Also his wife of nine years is pregnant so he's pretty stressed out.  It says in the credits introducing Gena Rowlands.  She's ok in this but got better in her career.  She's beautiful in this movie.  Also there was an Alfred Hitchcock presents episode that she was in in season 6 where Gena was young.  I watched this movie because I like Gena in the John Cassavetes movies.  This movie's ok.

Picture of Dorian Gray

This is a faithful adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel.  The picture reflects the true nature of Dorian Gray while he remains young.  The art job in this movie is pretty cool.  He's shown as a good looking guy at first and then becomes a beast.  Angela Lansbury plays his love interest, the girl he did wrong.  I wish Oscar Wilde wrote more novels.  The Picture of Dorian Gray still is a classic.

Weary River

Richard Barthelmess plays a convict who goes to prison.  While there his musical talent is discovered.  When he gets out though and becomes a singer people still call him a convict.  Betty Compson plays the girl who is interested in him. This is half talkie/half silent.  It's an ok movie.

The Show Off/The Plastic Age

This DVD contains two ok silent films.  The Show Off is about a man who puts his family to ruin but ends up saving the day at the end.  It costars Louise Brooks as a nice girl.  (This wasn't her usual role.)  Louise shines in this movie and that's the reason to watch it.  The Plastic Age has Clara Bow in it.  Two guys in college are after her.  She's a bit of a tease.  The ending is cute.  Clara Bow would later make It a much better movie called It.  Clara definitely was one of the most charismatic silent stars.  They're worth a watch.

Strange Affair of Uncle Harry

George Sanders is in a relationship with Ella Raines.  However his sister Geraldine Fitzgerald who is in bad health (she could be faking it as well) has too much control over his life.  When Ella dumps him he is determined to get back at his sister.  It's a good noir.  Ella Raines is one of my favorite noir stars.  Rather it was in Phantom Lady or this she shined on the screen.  She should be more known. 

The Great O"Malley

Pat O'Brien plays a strict cop.  Humphrey Bogart has a bad muffler and an interview on the same day.  Pat O'Brien's character knows he won't get to his job and decides to punish him anyway.  Pat is moved to an elementary school and then begins to see the wrong he did to Humphrey.  Ann Sheridan plays a school teacher.  The same cast Sheridan, O' Brien, and Bogart would also do the prison movie San Quentin.

Her Cardboard Lover

This is Norma Shearer's last movie.   She had a number of wonderful precode movies in the 30's.  I just think that Hollywood wasn't giving her quality material anymore.  Robert Taylor plays her fake boyfriend.  She wants to make George Sanders jealous.  This is a screwball comedy and there were better movies in the 40's.

Two O'Clock Courage

'

Tim Conway plays an amnesiac who has to prove that he's innocent of murder.  It's directed by Anthony Mann.  I recommend watching The Naked Spur instead which is a great western he made.  This is just ok.  The best part of the movie is Ann Rutherford who plays a spunky cab driver.  It's a decent noir but there are better in the genre.

Cowboy from Brooklyn

Dick Powell plays a singer from Brooklyn who gets a contract playing a cowboy singer.  Before long people find out his lie.  Priscilla Lane plays the girl who he discovered on a ranch earlier in the movie..  This movie was cute and Dick Powell has a good voice.

My Blood runs Cold

Joey Heatherton didn't star in that many movies so I feel like I should watch the ones she did.  (Although I didn't like The Happy Hooker.)  This one is just ok.  Troy Donahue plays a guy who swears he knew Joey Heatherton in a past life but he is not who says he is.  Joey Heatherton also made a great album in the 70's.  She's worth rediscovering.

Angels wash their faces

This is a sequel to Angels with Dirty Faces although it really has nothing to do with the first film.  This stars the Dead End Kids.  Gabe, Ann Sheridan's brother is convicted of arson.  It is up to Ronald Reagan and the kids to get their friend out of jail.  Bonita Granville, who is most known for her Nancy Drew roles, is fun as one of those kids.  I'm a fan of hers.  This doesn't compare to Angels with Dirty Faces.  It was just ok.  Plus I like Ann Sheridan even though she was just a supporting star in this movie.

Smile Jenny you're dead

David Janssen plays a private investigator.  A photographer is stalking a beautiful model.  David tracks him down.  This plot is trite and has been done countless times.  The reason to see this tv movie though is Jodie Foster's performance as a homeless girl.  You can already tell that she had the charisma to be a big star.  The interaction between David and Jodie was entertaining. 

Devotion

Ida Lupino plays Emily Bronte.  Olivia DeHavilland plays Charlotte Bronte.  This movie focuses on their relationships and their successes in writing.  We get to learn a bit about their drunken brother.  Anne is not mentioned in the movie much which I think is sad.  She's the less talked about of the Brontes.  It would have been nice learning more about her.  The movie's ok.  I was hoping for more.  You are better off watching a movie of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre.

Sporting Blood

The first half of this movie is racist and boring.  It's only until halfway through that Clark Gable enters.  He easily steals the show as a horse gambler.  He's charming and it's clear Clark Gable will have a future in Hollywood.  I recommend this movie only for Clark Gable lovers.  It was 80 minutes but felt longer.

Castle on the Hudson

John Garfield plays a criminal who goes to jail.  Burgess Meredith is one of his prison mates.  It's a memorable scene when he tries to escape.  Ann Sheridan plays John's innocent girlfriend.  This movie has the cliché when a person in authority says, "You can leave but come back in a day."  I don't know how many times I've seen this.  Overall it was an ok prison flick.  I'm a fan of John Garfield, Burgess Meredith, and Ann Sheridan so it was neat watching a great cast.

One Foot in Heaven

This movie was nominated for picture in 1941.  I don't know why.  It's about a minister in a Methodist church and his family travels around.  The problem with the picture is that there is nothing to get you in.  Briefly there is trouble with his son and school and I was hoping that would lead to somewhere.  However that plot stopped as quickly as it began.  This movie had little conflict.  Frederic March was good but I don't recommend this movie.

That Certain Woman

Bette Davis stars as a young widow of a gangster.  She has a relationship with Henry Fonda but once she learns she's pregnant Bette runs away from him.  The two do come together and although there are some conflictions both of them end up together.  It was a good movie.  Bette Davis was fun to watch.  I'm a huge fan of hers.  Although I admit I like her later roles like in Whatever happened to Baby Jane? more.

The Scapegoat

Based on a Daphne du Maurier book Alec Guinness really steals this movie.  He plays two men who look the same.  One is a decent guy and the other is a criminal.  The criminal steals the good guy's identity.  The good guy is left leading the criminal guy's life except without the crime.  He finds that he cares about the people in this criminal's life.  However the criminal catches up with him in the end.  The movie was ok.  Hitchcock who did Maurier's work three times would have made this a better film.  I've read Rebecca and Daphne's short stories.  So I need to put this on my reading list.

The Power and the Glory

Spencer Tracy initially is a guy who doesn't know how to read and write.  A schoolteacher (Colleen Moore) teaches him.  Only he becomes a successful businessman and later on has an affair which destroys his life.  I got this movie mostly because of Colleen Moore, a phenomenal silent star.  Here she speaks and she does all right but her career ended a bit after this movie. The role she has isn't as juicy as other roles she's had in her career.  The movie was just ok.

Why be Good?

Colleen Moore is one of my favorite silent stars.  I loved her in Ella Cinders.  More of her silent movies need to be put on DVD. Why be Good? was her last silent picture.  In here she plays a flapper who likes to dance but is a good girl.  Only her guy starts questioning that.  Colleen Moore shines in this picture.  It's neat that this was found.

The Hired Gun

This movie reminds of a Twilight Zone episode.  Anne Francis was in two Twilight Zone episodes so maybe that's why I'm thinking that.  An innocent girl escapes from jail.  A man comes to bring her back to jail but he begins to believe in her innocence.  He searches for the truth.  Anne Francis is gorgeous in this and does a good job.  She's the main reason to watch this ok western.