Rocketship X-M (1950)

"I suppose you think that women should only cook and sew and bear children.", 6 April 2008

I completely understand the historical significance of Rocketship X-M, but that doesn't make it a good movie. To begin with, the plot (or what there is of it) is dull and lifeless. Five astronauts blast off for the moon – they get knocked off course and end up on Mars (huh?) – cavemen-looking Martians throw rocks at them – they return to Earth and meet a fiery death – The End. Believe it or not, but this pithy plot description makes it sound much more interesting than it really is. To make matters worse, John Emery's character, Dr. Karl Eckstrom, feels it necessary to give long drawn out speeches on everything from the nature of man to the dangers of nuclear weapons. It's just a thrill-a-minute (sarcasm intended).

Looking back at Rocketship X-M almost 60 years later, I would call the portrayal of women funny if it weren't all so sad and misguided. There are a number of examples I could cite, but there's one exchange of dialogue just after take-off between the male chauvinist pilot Floyd (played by the irritating, plastic-haired Lloyd Bridges) and Dr. Lisa Van Horn (the only female crewmember and the constant object of Floyd's often creepy attention) that illustrates the film's attitudes toward women quite nicely:

• Floyd: "I've been wondering, how did a girl like you get mixed up in a thing like this in the first place."

• Dr. Van Horn: "I suppose you think that women should only cook and sew and bear children."

• Floyd: "Isn't that enough?"

I think Floyd should have stayed behind with the cavemen!

3/10

Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950)

Wee Willie Davis vs. Tor Johnson, 28 March 2008

In Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, Bud and Lou head to Algieria to find a wrestler named Abdullah who left them high and dry and owing a mobster quite a bit of money. Once there, the boys get mixed up with Sheik Hamud El Khalid (Douglas Dumbrille) and draw his ire at a slave auction. In their attempt to escape, Bud and Lou inadvertently sign-up for the French Foreign Legion. Things only get worse when they learn that their Sergeant is in cahoots with the Sheik. Now how are they going to get back to Brooklyn?

As a general rule, I'm a fan of A&C. Some of their movies (like Who Done It?, Hold that Ghost, and A&C Meet Frankenstein) I consider to be true classics. Unfortunately, by the time the boys made A&C in the Foreign Legion, much of their comedy had started to get tired and old. The movie has a "been there, done that" feel to a lot of it. For example, the "Oui vs. We" bit reminds me of several of A&C's more classic routines. Or take a look at the scene with the fish and the false teeth. To me, it shows how desperate the boys were. It's completely ridiculous and not in the least bit funny. A solid cast, however, almost makes this movie worthwhile. Douglas Dumbrille and Patricia Medina are a lot of fun. However, even though I think Dumbrille makes for a perfect villain, he's about as Algerian as I am (which is none).

Finally, one thing I really enjoyed about A&C in the Foreign Legion was the chance to see some classic, old-school wrestlers. Wee Willie Davis vs. Tor Johnson! How cool is that?

5/10

Night and the City (1950)

"If you ain't got socks you can't pull 'em up, can you?", 24 April 2007

Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) is a small-time hustler with big-time aspirations. All he needs is that one big chance. Fate seems to be smiling his way when he meets a very famous Greek wrestler and his protégé. If he plays it just right, Fabian is convinced he can turn this chance meeting into a wad of cash and make himself the biggest wrestling promoter in England. Just as things are looking up, forces beyond his control and a series of inopportune events conspire to destroy Fabian's dreams. But at what price to Fabian and those around him?

One word often used to describe film noir is "dark". Night and the City is as dark as they come. It's as dark and black as midnight. None of the characters comes out of this one unscathed. Not Fabian, not his girl, not his business partners, not his wrestlers, not the competing promoter, not the people he once hustled for – No one! There is no "happily ever after" Hollywood-style ending to this movie. Every character with more than 30 seconds of screen-time ends up like damaged goods. But it's this nihilistic view that makes Night and the City so compelling. It's akin to watching a train wreck – impossible to turn away.

The acting in Night and the City is, for the most part, outstanding. Widmark, Herbert Lom, Hugh Marlowe, Mike Mazurki, Francis Sullivan, and Googie Withers are all tremendous. But the performance that really caught my eye was that of Stanislaus Zbyszko as the Greek wrestler Gregorius. Zbyszko was a wrestler – not an actor. And the fact that his performance is as good as the trained and noted members of the cast is no small feat. Not only does he dominate his scenes physically, he more than holds his own when it comes to conveying emotion and feeling. It's truly an awesome performance.

But as good as Night and the City is, it is not without faults. Two that standout are Gene Tierney and the film's runtime. Notice I wrote that the acting was good "for the most part". The exception is Tierney. She does absolutely nothing to distinguish herself. She's merely adequate. But, it's not like she had much to work with. I wonder why the money was spent to hire a "name" like Tierney and then so underutilize her talents? As for the runtime, the movie feels a little long. A tighter script that eliminated some of the extraneous "stuff" would have made the film even better to me. But then again, who am I to criticize the editing decisions made on a classic like Night and the City?

8/10

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Amazingly well made, 10 February 2006

At first glance, it would seem natural to compare Where the Sidewalk Ends with Laura. Both have noirish qualities, both were directed by Otto Preminger, and both star Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. But that's where most of the comparisons end. Laura dealt with posh, sophisticated people with means who just happen to find themselves mixed-up in a murder. Where the Sidewalk Ends is set in a completely different strata. These are people with barely two nickels to rub together who are more accustomed to seeing the underbelly of society than going to fancy dress parties. Where the Sidewalk ends is a gritty film filled with desperate people who solve their problems with their fists or some other weapon. Small-time hoods are a dime-a-dozen and cops routinely beat confessions out of the crooks. Getting caught-up in a murder investigation seems as natural as breathing.

While I haven't seen his entire body of work, based on what I have seen, Dana Andrews gives one of his best performances as the beat-down cop, Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon. He's the kind of cop who is used to roughing up the local hoods if it gets him information or a confession. One night, he goes too far and accidentally kills a man. He does his best to cover it up. But things get complicated when he falls for the dead man's wife, Morgan Taylor (Tierney), whose father becomes suspect number one in the murder case. As Morgan's father means the world to her, Dixon's got to do what he can to clear the old man without implicating himself.

Technically, Where the Sidewalk Ends is outstanding. Besides the terrific performance from Andrews, the movie features the always delightful Tierney. She has a quality that can make even the bleakest of moments seem brighter. The rest of the cast is just as solid with Tom Tully as the wrongly accused father being a real standout. Beyond the acting, the direction, sets, lighting, and cinematography are all top-notch. Overall, it's an amazingly well made film.

If I have one complaint (and admittedly it's a very, very minor quibble) it's that Tierney is almost too perfect for the role and her surroundings. It's a little difficult to believe that a woman like that could find herself mixed-up with some of these unsavory characters. It's not really her fault, it's just the way Tierney comes across. She seems a little too beautiful, polished, and delicate for the part. But, her gentle, kind, trusting nature add a sense of needed realism to her portrayal.

9/10

The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

Jane Wyatt? Who made that decision?, 27 January 2006

Maybe I'm missing something because I've read more positive things about The Man Who Cheated Himself than I have read bad reviews - and I just don't get it. I like my noirs to have a little style to them with characters that speak, look, and act like Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep or Gene Tierney in Laura. None of the characters in this movie have that style or presence or whatever you want to call it. Take the lead actor, Lee J. Cobb. His rumpled, rolled-out-of-bed look is about as far from the dashing, smooth-talking noir archetype as you'll find. Or, take Jane Wyatt as the femme fatale as another example. This is one of the worst cases of miscasting I've seen in a while. She's just not convincing in the role.

As for the plot, it's tired and lacks any real surprises or anything new for the genre. I could have predicted the outcome of The Man Who Cheated Himself after about five minutes. And that final cat-and-mouse chase scene is plain old dull. Ten to fifteen minutes of nothing happening really ruined any pacing the movie may have had going for it.

4/10

Halls of Montezuma (1950)

A "Small" War Movie, 24 July 2005

Despite it's grand name, Halls of Montezuma is a small war film. What I mean is that the movie focuses more on a small group of men and their fears and problems than it does on a grand plan for Allied victory. It's a very personal movie. We get to see these men up-close and we begin to develop feelings for them. I wouldn't doubt that this is one of the first films to show a U.S. Lieutenant so battle scarred that he resorts to using pain killers just to function. Unlike other war films of this era, not all of these men are going to make it to the end. War is like that. It doesn't pick and chose people to live because we like them. So in that regard, it's also more realistic than some other war movies made in the 50s.

To succeed as a small, personal war movie as I've described, the cast has to be able to act. This cast does not disappoint. Richard Widmark, Jack Webb, and Karl Malden are all excellent in their respective roles. I was especially impressed with Webb who has an acting style that can grate on the nerves. He's more subdued here and it works. But as good as these three are, Jack Palance is the highlight of the movie for me. He was undoubtedly the most believable. I could really picture him doing the things in real life that were called for in the script.

I have no difficulty recommending Halls of Montezuma to fans of war films. It's a very welcome addition to my DVD collection.

7/10