What classics did you see last week, 27 Dec to 2 Jan?

A week of all black and white “Bs.”

The Night Of The Party / Michael Powell (1935). Gaumont British Picture Corporation. Cinematography by Glen MacWilliams. A Quota Quickie from Michael Powell, on the verge of beginning his climb to being one of the U.K.’s most revered directors. An English Lord throws a bash and is killed during a party game. Well, it’s his own fault because everybody he invited has a reason to want him dead, including his own daughter who wants to marry her father’s secretary and gets disinherited. Even a Scotland Yard head of detectives (Leslie Banks) is there and even he has a motive for murder. It is the Secretary who is accused and put on trial but the detective believes him innocent. The ending is arbitrary and abrupt as if they ran out of film stock and didn’t have the budget for more. The always delightful Ernest Thesiger is one of the party guests. TRIVIA: Roland Pertwee (credited in first picture) is the father of Jon Pertwee, the third actor to play the Doctor on Doctor Who, and grandfather of Harry Melling, popular English stage actor known from movies as Dudley Durlsey in the Harry Potter films.




Murder At Glen Athol / Frank R. Strayer (1936). Invincible Pictures. Cinematography by M.A. Andersen. As much as Glen Athol sounds like a British manor house in the country, it is a fictional U.S. city seemingly in upstate New York. A famous detective, Bill Holt (John Miljan), is on vacation to write his memoirs when he meets the neighbors next door including lively girl about town Muriel Randel (Iris Adrian) has no boundaries on what she says. She says quite openly that she is working on landing her third husband, the brother of her second who is still alive. The next night in the house next door there is a double murder with the supposed culprit killed. The case seems closed but at the urging of Jane Maxwell (Irene Ware), who Holt had met the night before and become attracted to, he takes up the case. Bare bones but entertaining enough.




The Four Just Men / Walter Forde (1939). CAPAD (presents). Cinematography by Ronald Neame (Blythe Spirit, In Which We Serve). Based on a 1905 by Edgar Wallace. The title quartet are four men from different backgrounds who work outside the law, dispensing their own justice, in order to protect England and the world from evil people who escape conventional law enforcement. An actor and master of disguise (Hugh Sinclair), a theatrical entrepreneur (Griffith Jones), the owner of a major fashion house (Francis L. Sullivan) and another guy (Frank Lawton) whose occupation is never mentioned swing into action on the verge of war to foil a Nazi plot to block the British navy from sailing. With the Navy paralyzed, they could sweep over the Empire. Although Fleet Street is trying like crazy to learn the identities of the Four, it is gal reporter Ann Lodge (Anna Lee) wanting to break away from fashion show assignments who makes the discovery after falling in love with one of them. Alan Napier (Alfred from the ‘60s Batman series) plays a traitorous member of Parliament. Nice.




The Inner Circle / Philip Ford (1946). Republic Pictures. Cinematography by Reggie Lanning. Johnny Strange (Warren Douglas) is a wise-cracking private eye who is overwhelmed by Geraldine Travis (Adele Mara) who walks into his office, announces that she is his new secretary and takes over, answering the phone and straightening the place up. At the same time he gets a strange phone call from a woman with a Spanish accent asking him to meet her. He is led to a murder, knocked out, and set up as the killer. Police detective Webb (William Frawley) would love to nail Strange for the killer so Johnny has to find the Real Killer. But maybe his new secretary has something to do with his being framed. Other suspects are a shady nightclub owner (Ricardo Cortez) and a singer at the club (Virginia Christine). Negligible but enjoyable anyway.




Beyond This Place / Jack Cardiff (1959). Georgefield Productions. Cinematography by Wilkie Cooper. Paul Mathry (Van Johnson) was a young boy in Liverpool during the Blitz. He and his mother were evacuated to the United State where he was raised. Twenty years later he returns to search for the father he doesn’t remember. He finds to his horror that his dad is in prison for a murder that took place during a wartime bombing raid and has been in jail since before Paul left for the states. He can’t get into the prison to see his father, Patrick Mathry (Bernard Lee), because Patrick has always been a difficult prisoner and is serving a term in solitary. A shy librarian (Vera Miles) befriends him but has problems of her own (she doesn’t trust men and can’t stand to be touched). Paul becomes convinced that the Real Killer is still out there but his investigation is met with resistance from the cop who made the arrest and the father’s prosecutor both of whom are determined not to be proved wrong. A pretty fair mystery with a bit of human feeling included. Good performance by underrated star actor Van Johnson. HISTORICAL NOTE: 1) Liverpool was second only to London as the most bombed English city during WWII due to its heavy industrial factories and thriving seaport. 2) When Paul Mathry was visiting in 1959, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were already growing up there.




Master Spy / Montgomery Tully (1963). Grand National Pictures (UK). Cinematography by Geoffrey Faithfull. Russian physicist Boris Turganev (Stephen Murray) defects to the British in order to work with a top secret project that is parallel to what he had been doing in Russia. He left his home country because he wanted his work use to improve lives not for weapons. But can he really be trusted. The secret laboratory turns out to be a closed society of jealousy and mistrust, especially as some of their research had gone mission just before Boris arrived. They are all under suspicion making tensions. Dr. Turganev’s true loyalties are not revealed until the movie’s final moments. The direction, staging, and cinematography is basic stuff. Mainly, it is just people moving around in front of the camera. No flash or dash but good acting from Murray. Yet the film does build up some good suspense toward the end. I enjoyed it but others may be bored by talkiness and lack of visual flair.

The movies I watched in the last week of 2020/first week of 2021:

Winchester (2018).



Midway (2019).



Red Dwarf: The Promised Land (2020).



Murder on the Orient Express (2017).



Tenet (2020).



The Secrets We Keep (2020).



Flatliners (2017).

Sunday 27
FONZ AND THE HAPPY DAYS GANG (1980) “You’ll Never Get Witch” 40TH ANNIVERSARY The gang head to the Salem Witch Trials. The episode portrays a mysterious character who may or may not be a witch, but the episode fortunately reveals the true ‘witch’ is a normal impostor. CBS Fox Video DVD

THE HEATHCLIFF AND DINGBAT SHOW (1980) “Star Trick/High Flying Fools/Private Eyes/The Big Fish” 40TH ANNIVERSARY And so we end the adventures of the Ghoulish Three Stooges Dingbat and the Creeps. Although Heathcliff will return next season, his new partner will be Marmaduke. Warner DVD

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN (1980) “Den of the Sleeping Monster” 40TH ANNIVERSARY And so the first season of the Jack-Kirby/Steve Gerber Animated series comes to an end. Warner DVD

THE TRANSFORMERS (1985) “Kremreek” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Megatron creates a sentient spark that causes havoc on machinery, including Transformers. Shout DVD.

ENEMY MINE (1985) 35TH ANNIVERSARY this month Wolfgang Reitherman’s Sci-fi DEFIANT ONES as two members of warring races (Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr.) are forced to live together in an abandoned rock getting to know each other. I saw parts of this film on cable in my childhood. Amazon Prime.

THE MIRROR CRACK'D (1980) 40TH ANNIVERSARY this month. In the wake of All-Star Agatha Christie Mystery films (MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, DEATH ON THE NILE) comes this tale of a visiting Movie Star being a target for a murder. With Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple with Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Geraldine Chaplin, and Edward Fox. I knew the story before from the 1991 adaptation from the Joan Hickson BBC-TV series (with Claire Bloom the actress). Amazon Prime.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (1995) “Liliputin Hitcher” 25TH ANNIVERSARY An Angel infects the main computer the MAGI. This episode focuses on Dr. Ritsuko with hints of her character and past with her mother. Japanese with English Subtitles. ADV DVD.

BORN YESTERDAY (1950) 70TH ANNIVERSARY this Month Judy Holliday repeats her Broadway role as a crooked Tycoon’s moll getting wise. First saw parts of this on TNT’s “Our Favorite Movies” featurette in the early 1990s. Amazon Prime.

Monday 28
INSPECTOR GADGET (1985) “Tyrranosaurus Gadget” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Having covered Space, the series’ next Trilogy covers Time, as Gadget and co. go to the Prehistoric Age to stop MAD’s own manipulation of the stream (which involves killing Gadget’s caveman ancestor). Professor Van Slickstein, who appeared in the previous season (and is the scientist who installed the Inspector’s gadgets). Interestingly, it decides to avoid the regular misconception of caveman and dinosaurs co-existing; it’s through MAD that the creatures come to the other age. Cinedigm DVD.

THE JEWEL OF THE NILE (1985) 35TH ANNIVERSARY this Month. Sequel to ROMANCING THE STONE has Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas dealing with problems in their relationship as well as a Middle East despot. I saw this film in Theaters. Last time I saw it was a rental in 1999, highlighting on Billy Ocean’s song “The Going Gets Tough.” Amazon Prime.

9 TO 5 (1980) 40TH ANNIVERSARY this month. Office comedy about three women (Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton) turning tables on their sexist, harrassive boss. A film from my childhood, I remembered certain scenes- the Snow White fantasy, Violet’s corpse robbery (the tag on his foot), Mr. Hart getting kidnapped and bound (at the time I thought Mr Hart was the good guy!). It was the title song that was the highlight. Years later I would see more of the film. The last time I saw it was in Tinseltown’s CLASSIC SERIES in 2015. Amazon Prime.

Tuesday 29
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (1990) “First Spaceship to Venus” 30TH ANNIVERSARY YouTube.

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS (1985) “Battle of the Bands Act I” 35TH ANNIVERSARY

OLIVER TWIST (1985) “Episode Twelve” 35TH ANNIVERSARY Having murdered his girl Nancy last episode, Bill Sikes accidentally hangs, Fagin gets arrested and sentenced to hang, while Oliver and Rose learn the truth of their backgrounds to their good fortune. Amazon Prime.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945) 75TH ANNIVERSARY Rene Clair’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s mystery about payback. The first film version with an well-known cast starring Walter Huston, Barry Fitzgerald, June Duprez, Louis Hayward, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, and Richard Haydn. I first experienced Christie’s story from a college production back in 2000. I also saw the 1965 version on TCM. I saw this one a few years later on the same channel. YouTube.

MYRNA LOY: TO COME HOME TO (1990) 30TH ANNIVERSARY this Year. TNT-produced special on the Hollywood Actress hosted by Kathleen Turner. Premiered on June 1990 as part of a prime-time marathon on Loy. I remember watching it, interested in THE SHOW OF SHOWS (1990) segment. Warner DVD.

THE TIME MACHINE (1960) 60TH ANNIVERSARY this year. George Pal’s adaptation of H.G. Well’s novel. I first saw parts of this on TNT in the summer of 1991 (under its “Our Favorite Movies” presentation with a featurette about the making: I learned the lava was made out of oatmeal). Watching the end, I wondered there was something familiar with Alan Young’s accent. Then I realized it was Scrooge McDuck. To be sure, Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Bagheera/Winnie the Pooh narrator (Sebastian Cabot) are also in it. Warner DVD.

Wednesday 30
THE FLINTSTONES (1960) “The Prowler” 60TH ANNIVERSARY Wilma and Betty take Judo lessons for self-defense. Watching this today, I thought I remembered an earlier scene of the wives with their racist caricatured sensei. I initially thought this was some cut episode deleted for PC reasons and stopped watching. Then reading the wiki I realized no scene such happened, that the sensei does appear in this version, so I returned to watching it. Warner DVD.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945) MGM’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel about a sinful man who stays handsome youthful and innocent looking while his portrait shows the moral and physical decay (the portraits shown in Technicolor). First saw pictures of the film from Everson’s CLASSICS OF THE HORROR FILM, with my mother later telling me the story. I finally got to see parts of the film on either Showtime or Cinemax in the summer of 1992. Starring Hurd Hatfield, Angela Lansbury, and George Sanders. Amazon Prime.

CLUELESS (1995) 25TH ANNIVERSARY Cameron Crowe’s 90s adaptation of Jane Austen’s EMMA with Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Sisto, Brittany Murphy, and Dan Heyada. I first saw this on video at a High School presentation (a last day before Spring Break), and I found it entertaining. The last time I saw it was at my Tinseltown theatre for a CLASSIC SERIES presentation back in 2015. I was the only one in the room. Amazon Prime.

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) 80TH ANNIVERSARY this month Alexandre Korda’s SFX Technicolor spectacle, a big inspiration for Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and ALADDIN (Yes, it goes back to the Arabian Tales, but one can’t look at Conrad Veidt’s Jafir and Miles Maleson’s Sultan and not think of the Disney characters!) I first saw this on TNT in the spring of 1991. I last saw this in 2019 for the United Artists Centennial. Criterion DVD.

Thursday 31
THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980) 40TH ANNIVERSARY this year. John Landis Musical All-Star film based on John Belushi and Dan Akroyd’s SNL duo, with appearances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Cab Calloway. First saw the whole film at Tinseltown in 2015. Universal Laserdisc.

THE APARTMENT (1960) Billy Wilder’s Oscar Winning drama-comedy. I remember my grandmother’s house had the VHS on display. I first saw parts of this in May 1998 on Turner Classic Movies. I saw more if it around Christmas week 2008. Since 2012 it has become my perennial New Years film. FoxVideo DVD.

GARY COOPER: AMERICAN LIFE, AMERICAN LEGEND (1989) The first of TNT’s documentaries on Hollywood stars hosted by a present star, in this case Clint Eastwood. I remember seeing this back in the day, it had what I thought was my first glimpse of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1933) Turned out my first glimpse was from the “Under Pressure” Music Video. Image/Turner Laserdisc

VICTOR/VICTORIA (1995) 25TH ANNIVERSARY this year. Taped version of the Broadway adaptation of Blake Edwards’ 1982 comedy, reuniting Julie Andrews with Henry Mancini. I saw Act One on the Image Bluray (which began with people entering the theater, among them Vanessa Williams, Suzanne Somers, Barbara Walters, and Guiliani), but it kept freezing at Act Two, so I watched the taping of a later performance on YouTube. Julie’s performance is rather poignant since this is the last visual record of her singing before the botched surgery that ended that ability.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! (1974) MGM’s film collection of their Movie Musicals, hosted by Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Mickey Rooney, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Liza Minelli. Turner Classic Movies Broadcast on New Years Eve.

Friday 1
HOLLYWOOD BACKSTORIES (2000) “Valley of the Dolls” American Movie Classics had its short making-of-docus, in this case the 1967 Hollywood trash film starring Patty Duke. With interviews with Duke and Barbara Perkins plus critic Michael Musto, the episode goes through the making and camp appeal of the film. FoxVideo DVD.

GET ME OFF THIS MERRY-GO-ROUND: SEX, DOLLS, AND HISTORY (2005) Documentary on the appeal of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS from critics (Musto and Bruce Vilanch) and performers of a popular stage show of the production (among them THE OFFICE’s Kate Flannery). FoxVideo DVD.

Saturday 2
JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (1971) “Don’t Count on the Countess” 50TH ANNIVERSARY The season finale of the Animated series. Next year it will be Outer Space. I didn’t like that one, so this will be the last for Josie for me (unless maybe the SCOOBY-DOO Crossover). Warner DVD.

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1971) “Harold’s Girl” 50TH ANNIVERSARY FoxVideo DVD.

INSIDE TRADING: THE MAKING OF TRADING PLACES (2007) Docu about the 1983 film. Paramount DVD.

TRADING PLACES (1983) Comedy about two crooked Upper Class millionaires (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) turning the tables on a yuppie (Dan Akroyd) and a poor con artist (Eddie Murphy). I first saw parts of this film from an NBC Broadcast in the late 1980s (with memory images of Murphy in the Jacuuzi, Denholm Elliott rebuking Akroyd, Murphy throwing his old crew out of the house), and then saw the remainder on Christmas Eve 1995. The World Trade Center… Paramount DVD.

I also saw parts of ONE HOUR IN WONDERLAND (1950) Walt Disney’s first Television special to promote his upcoming ALICE IN WONDERLAND, with Alice’s VA Kathryn Beaumont, Bobby Discroll, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy and Hans Conreid as the Magic Mirror (a role he would reprise in a late 1970s TV Special about Disney Villains). YouTube.

Earliest Film Seen this Month: Parts of: THE LIFE AND PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST (1903) In entirety: A STRAW SNOW RIDE (1906).
Latest Film Seen this Month: THE LAST NARUTO THE MOVIE (2014)