The Tall Men

 

This was a pretty boring western. I got it because I felt in the mood for a Clark Gable movie but even he wasn't of much interest here. The movie is about two brothers who join a cattle drive. Along the way they fight Indians and each other over Jane Russell. The only good thing about this movie is Jane Russell as she tries to bring life into this dull movie. She even sings a couple of tunes. 

Birdman of Alcatraz

 

This was a pretty good prison movie about a convict who takes a special interest in birds and becomes an expert on them. I read a bit about the guy, and it looks like the movie made him more of a saint than he was. Karl Malden does a good job as his enemy, the prison warden. The movie is kind of long. It was two hours and a half, but it was worth the watch. 

Kiss and Make-Up

 

This was a cute precode with Cary Grant. Grant plays a beautician who turns Genevieve Tobin into an attractive but shallow girl. Her husband Edward Everett Horton says she isn't the person she used to be and dumps her. Cary Grant marries her only to react just the way that Horton did. Soon Cary Grant not only wants out of the marriage but his profession too. He wants to be with the "plain" (she really isn't) girl at his job Helen Mack but Horton wants that girl too. It turns out by the end that everyone is not what they seem. 

Play Girl

 

People are harsh on Kay Francis on the internet. Whenever there's a list of the ugliest old actresses, she's included. I think she looked all right but she had a lot of charisma, charm, and class. This movie was pretty fun. Kay Francis stars as a gold digger, and she takes a young girl Mildred Coles under her wing. The girl plays along as a gold digger, but her heart is set on a simple man she met earlier in the movie. When she finds out that he's really a rich rancher she's disappointed. I guess she wanted him to be different or something. It takes a while for things to be sorted out. I recommend this for Kay Francis fans.  

Thrill of a Romance

 

This was a pretty mediocre Esther Williams movie. She looked pretty in this though. Esther marries this boring workaholic. When he leaves their honeymoon for business matters, she takes up with Van Johnson. I didn't like the laidback attitude the movie has that adultery is ok. I couldn't look pass this. The main highlight of the movie was when an African American teenager sang. That guy could really sing. Tommy Dorsey's numbers were probably the second best thing in this movie. This movie did apparently well at the box office that year.   

Hangover Square

 This was a pretty good movies about a composer who commits murder during blackouts. He's enamored by singer Linda Darnell and when he suspects her of infidelity, he finds himself in one of these blackouts. Linda Darnell is very good in this role. She uses him for songs himself but even he sees through her lies in the end. The actor Laird Cregar died before his performance could be acclaimed. He died out of tragic circumstances, a crash diet. It's sad because he's pretty good in this. 

Gold Diggers of 1935

 

The small plot in this movie concerns Dick Powell who has his eye on Gloria Stuart, but her mother wants to marry a millionaire. This movie is more about the dancing. The last half hour is dedicated to "Lullaby of Broadway" which is sung by Winifred Shaw. It's worth watching the movie just to get to that last number. However, I've seen better Busby Berkeley movies.