Cry Wolf (1947)
[6] Barbara Stanwyck shows up at Errol Flynn's doorstep claiming to be the wife of his late brother. While he suspects she is a gold digger, she suspects he is abusing his young niece (Geraldine Brooks) and may be hiding…
Never Say Goodbye (1946)
[6] Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker star as the divorced parents of a seven-year-old girl who is trying to get the two back together again. It may sound cloying, but the film uses its device exclusively for screwball comedic effect.…
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
[8] A young man's soul is transferred to a mysterious portrait that bears the decay and debauchery of his lifestyle. The most interesting thing about this Oscar Wilde tale is that you are never told what Dorian Gray's sins are,…
The Lady Eve (1941)
[7] Barbara Stanwyck's a card shark and Henry Fonda's a naive millionaire. They meet and fall in love aboard an Atlantic cruise in Preston Sturges's The Lady Eve, a romantic comedy made tolerable with its sizzling sexual teasing and moderate…
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
[5] Claude Rains is gold in all his scenes as the god-like Mr. Jordan, but I find the movie's playfully fatalistic view of love and self-purpose too saccharine to swallow. Robert Montgomery is also good as the deceased boxer who,…
Hangover Square (1945)
[6] A composer suffers from frequent black-outs and begins to wonder if he's not responsible for a series of murdered women in the area. Hangover Square is a very good dark drama featuring a great performance by Laird Cregar. Some…
The Black Swan (1942)
[4] Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara star in this seafaring tale of a plundering buccaneer who considers changing his ways once he becomes smitten with an aristocratic lady. At times a very beautiful film, The Black Swan fails on the…
Strange Cargo (1940)
[3] Clark Gable escapes the Devil's Island penal colony and takes floozie Joan Crawford along for the ride. Along with a handful of other fleeing criminals, they rough it through the jungle and long days at sea to reach the…
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
[7] A claustrophobic mystery featuring a career-launching performance from Humphrey Bogart. Characters like Sam Spade can often be played over the top, but Bogart keeps it grounded and accessible for me. I also like the ensemble of supporting players, including…
Dragonwyck (1946)
[6] Writer/producer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) made his directorial debut with Dragonwyck, a gothic romance with a dash of horror/suspense. Gene Tierney plays a farm girl summoned by a distant relative to help…