Pier 5, Havana (1959)

Historically interesting if nothing else, 14 April 2020

Steve Daggett (Cameron Mitchell) heads to post-revolutionary Cuba to look for a missing friend.  He’s no more than off the plane when he’s mixed-up with some baddies who may have more sinister intentions than kidnapping his friend.  He’s also mixed up with an old flame, Monica Gray (Allison Hayes), which is bound to lead to even more problems. Can he find his friend, not get killed, and still get the girl?

As soon as I saw Cameron MItchell’s name in the credits, I knew I wanted to see Pier 5, Havana.  I”ve been a fan since I was a kid watching The HIgh Chaparral. Throw in Allison Hayes and I’m definitely watching.  Overall, Pier 5, Havana falls into that harmless class of wishy-washy films I rate a 5/10. It's enjoyable enough, but nothing to really get overly excited about.  Some of the pro-Castro sentiments in the film are incredibly interesting. Also, some of the street scenes filmed in and around Havana and the aerial shots of downtown Havana are truly  special. This is a film that could only have been made at this exact time in history.

As for the movie, like I said, it’s okay.  Most of the plot is interesting enough (helped by a very short 67 minute runtime), the action works, and Mitchell comes out looking fine.  The movie also has a noirish quality to it that i really enjoyed. As for what didn’t work quite as well, I’ll start with Hayes. In a word, she’s awful.  Several of her scenes with Eduardo Noriega are cringe-inducing they’re so bad. And even though I enjoyed the plot, I admit it is a bit uneven and predictable.  Still, despite the faults, I’m glad I finally got around to watching this one.

5/10

Bloody Sun (1974)

One of the dullest and ugliest movies I’ve ever seen, 13 April 2020

Jonathan (Christopher MItchum) signs a two year contract to work in a copper mine.  The work is hard and the workers are treated almost like slaves. Jonathan meets and falls for the mine manager’s wife, Consuelo (Claudine Auger).  Jonathan and Consuelo hatch a plan for him to escape so they can meet up later.  

As dull as that plot summary is, it actually makes Bloody Sun (or Blue Jeans and Dynamite)  sound much more exciting than it really is. The events I mentioned take up about ten minutes of the roughly 90 minute runtime.  The other 80 minutes are excuritating. This has to be one of the dullest movies i”ve ever sat down to watch. The film just drags from one bleak, ugly looking scene to the next, with nothing, and I repeat nothing, happening.  There’s not a single moment to bring you to the edge of your seat with anticipation. Heck, there’s not even more than a moment or two where I even cared about what was happening on-screen at all. Good guys and bad guys are equally painful to watch.  

Not only is Bloody Sun one of the dullest movies I’ve ever had the misfortune to watch, it’s also one of the ugliest.  For the most part, the color palette ranges from brown to brown. The cinematography and lighting are generally hideous.  It takes some real talent to make Claudine Auger look this bad.

1/10

This Girl for Hire (1983) (TV)

“I made a very pretty corpse, but you could be a star.“, 13 April 2020

Female PI B.T. Brady (Bess Armstrong) is hired by a mystery writer to deliver his latest script to his publisher.  But after the writer is murdered, Brady feels she owes it to her client to uncover his killer. There are no lack of suspects with a slew of other jealous writers and a jilted agent, Brady’s got her hands full.  There’s also a police lieutenant dogging her every footstep. He knows Brady has more information than she’s giving up. After a death threat, Brady realizes she’s on the right track, but may have bitten off more than she can chew.

It’s pretty easy to see This Girl for Hire’s TV roots.  The sound recording, cinematography, and acting all scream TV film pilot.  And while I see why it was never picked up, This Girl for Hire isn’t a complete waste.  Armstrong makes a harmless, if not charming, lead. While I never bought her “tough guy” routine (and that trench coat and fedora were way too much), she’s more than capable of pulling off the comedic aspects of the role.  She stumbles and bumbles her way to the solution. The film’s finale is really nice with some moderately suspenseful moments. I can’t believe I didn’t guess the identity of the killer. Looking back, it was so obvious. Finally, I would have liked to see Brady bring the case to a conclusion without the help of the male police officer.  He didn’t do much, but she should have wrapped things up on her own.

The old-school Hollywood trappings were also a bit much.  Screening The Big Sleep in the den, the wood paneled boat of a car, and the voice over a la Bogart were more pandering than humorous.  However, a supporting performance from Hollywood legend Celeste Holm was a real highlight.  

So, overall, This Girl for Hire is a decent little time-waster if you go into it with lowered expectations.

5/10