A Night to Remember (1958)

A Night to Remember (1958)

[7] If you've only seen James Cameron's telling of the R.M.S. Titanic's tragic 1912 sinking, you might be surprised how much that film owes to this earlier British version directed by Hammer and Amicus alum Roy Ward Baker (Scars of Dracula, Asylum)…
The Young Philadelphians (1959)

The Young Philadelphians (1959)

[5] Paul Newman stars as a lawyer who rises to power through the manipulations of his mother and other socialites. He finally finds his own voice and something worth standing for when an old friend is put on trial for a murder…
Kim (1950)

Kim (1950)

[6] This Rudyard Kipling adventure stars young Dean Stockwell in the title role, playing a sneaky street-wise kid who spies for British Intelligence in colonial India. The adventure is a little more episodic than I prefer, bringing Kim into contact with several…
To Catch a Thief (1955)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

[7] Cary Grant stars as an ex-jewel thief trying to clear his name after precious jewels start disappearing in the French Riviera. This outing for Alfred Hitchcock succeeds more in character than in suspense set pieces, though you'll get some of that,…
The Blob (1958)

The Blob (1958)

[6] A meteorite crashes to Earth, carrying a blob of jelly that grows exponentially by devouring everyone in its path. The original Blob movie is charming in a retro-gitchy way, even if you never buy then 28-year old Steve McQueen as a…
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

[6] Charlton Heston headlines an ensemble cast in Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth. We're talking, of course, about the Circus -- and the lives of the people who put it on. Heston plays the owner and manager of the…
Ivanhoe (1952)

Ivanhoe (1952)

[5] The disgraced Ivanhoe returns from the Crusades to learn King Richard the Lionheart is imprisoned in Austria. He goes to the court of King John to plea for Richard's ransom, but King John is pretty keen to keep the throne for…
Too Much, Too Soon (1958)

Too Much, Too Soon (1958)

[6] Dorothy Malone and Errol Flynn play father and daughter John and Diana Barrymore, real-life members of Hollywood's famous Barrymore family, both of whom suffered famously from alcoholism. Flynn is very good here in the final noteworthy role of his career. Malone,…
The Giant Behemoth (1959)

The Giant Behemoth (1959)

[4] Just six years after directing The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, director Eugene Lourie goes back to the well for another giant lizard movie, only this time the monster is radioactive. While production values are high for a low-budget British production (British…
The Star (1952)

The Star (1952)

[6] Bette Davis stars as a washed-up Hollywood actress desperate to revive her career. You might think the film would be a bit autobiographical, but the screenwriters actually patterned it after Joan Crawford. (And Davis no doubt found some amount of joy…