[6] Part ghost story, part wartime propaganda flick, this heady British production is truly an unusual find. Michael Redgrave plays an American lighthouse keeper who has withdrawn from the world. Having lost all faith in humanity, especially in light of the imminent Nazi blitzkrieg, it’s up to the deceased crew of a sunken ship to restore the lighthouse keeper’s faith. Thunder Rock is a very …
[7] Errol Flynn plays a banker who takes up boxing and makes it all the way to a climactic match against the heavyweight champion of the world. Gentleman Jim is more entertaining than I imagined, thanks to Flynn’s persistent charm and healthy doses of wit and humor. Alan Hale returns to Flynn’s side, this time playing his proud papa, while Alexis Smith takes over the …
[7] Van Johnson and Ricardo Montalban are among the men holed up under snow and fog in William Wellman’s (Wings) depiction of the Battle of the Bulge. Unlike most other war films of the time, Battleground is more of a character study than an action film, tracing the remarkable spirit of the men who endured the long siege. The acting is good all around, and …
[7] Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James, The Heiress centers around Catherine (Olivia de Havilland), a shy, socially inept young woman who gets swept off her feet by a dashing young destitute (Montgomery Clift). When her father (Ralph Richardson) accuses the man of preying on his daughter’s inheritance, he threatens to cut her off. Putting all her faith in her first love, …
[9] Of the nine films which paired Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib is often considered the best. Writers Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin were friends of the famous couple and wrote the film specifically for them. Kate insisted the film be directed by her favorite screen director, George Cukor, who services the brilliant writing and on-screen chemistry with his trademark elegant staging and …
[9] Three desperate men scrape together everything they can muster to go prospecting for gold and discover not just riches, but the destructive greed that comes with them. This is one of John Huston’s finest works, a male bonding adventure that doubles as a dark morality tale. Humphrey Bogart is terrific in the leading role, especially when his character begins turning into the monster of …
[9] A young, lonely widow gains her independence by moving into a seaside cottage where she begins a supernatural relationship with the ghost of a crusty sea captain. As the two begin to fall in love, a flesh-and-blood suitor rivals for her affection. Time goes by and the woman begins to wonder if the old ghost was just a figment of her imagination. As far …
[9] Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant headline this twisted love story from Alfred Hitchcock, about a secret service agent (Grant) who entices an aimless drunk (Bergman) to spy on a group of Nazis gathering uranium in Rio de Janeiro. There’s an immediate attraction between Bergman and Grant, but she has reservations about her self-worth and he won’t admit to loving her — possibly because of …
[9] Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made their first pairing in this adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel about an American boatman (Bogart) who reluctantly sticks his neck out for the French Resistance in World War II Martinique. Along the way he falls in love with a sultry young singer (Bacall) and risks more lives than his own when he agrees to give a pair of …
[10] If you want to watch Errol Flynn fight the Nazis, this is your movie! Edge of Darkness is one of those great old World War II propaganda films, this time told from the perspective of a small Norwegian fishing village that’s been under Nazi control for two years. Flynn heads up a superb ensemble, including Walter Huston, Ruth Gordon, Judith Anderson, and Ann Sheridan, …
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