Maisie (1939)

Looking forward to more Maisie, 13 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Maisie is a fast-talking, New York showgirl who ends up stranded in a one horse Wyoming town.  She weasels her way into a job at a local ranch and into the heart of the ranch foreman.

I’m not sure how I missed the Maisie series, but I’m awfully glad I stumbled on it last night.  Man, did I ever have fun watching Maisie! It’s not perfect, but it’s got a lot to offer. Ann Sothern is the sassy Maisie.  She’s absolutely perfect. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a role so tailor-made for an actor. She’s funny, smart, and about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.  Her comedic timing is spot on. And she equally capable of handling the physical bits also. I really can’t say enough positive things about Ann Southern’s Maisie.   I’m really looking forward to see what Maisie gets up to next. 

But, as I indicated, Maisie isn’t perfect.  I’ve got two big grips that I think are worth mentioning.  First, things really slow down toward the end of the second act.  There’s too much schmaltzy romance drama and too little of Maisie being Maisie.  Other than that, I had no real problems with the plot. Second, I’m not much of a fan of Robert Young.  He’s too stiff, with his pants pulled up to his armpits, to play the romantic lead next to Sothern. It never felt right to me.

One final thing about Maisie – and really a lot of movies from the 30s and 40s.  The “cowboys” in these movies never seem or look real. They’re all too clean, pressed, and starched. 

7/10

Marlowe (1969)

“That’s your exit line, Marlowe.  Follow it out.”, 12 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Marlowe is hired by a young woman from Kansas who is trying to find her lost brother.  However, Marlowe doubts the wisdom of taking his new client when he gets mixed up with a gangster named Steelgrave and a couple of deadly ice picks.

I’m really shocked at how much I enjoyed Marlowe.  Contrary to most of what I’ve read on the internet, I found Marlowe fantastically entertaining.  I’ve never read the Raymond Chandler novel this is based on so I don’t have that comparison – which is probably a good thing.  The plot is a bit convoluted, but if you’ve seen the better known The Big Sleep, it’s about what you would expect from a Chandler adapted novel.  It’ll keep you guessing throughout. The film has really groovy 60s vibe to it that I found especially appealing. The opening credit sequence and theme really set 60s stage just right.  Director Paul Bogart may be best known for his work in TV, but his direction here is on-point. He keeps things moving at a brisk pace. He filled Marlowe with plenty of action, mystery, witty dialogue, and interesting set-pieces.  In fact it’s got all the ingredients I need for a good time.

I found most of the acting in Marlowe to be top-notch.  James Garner is just so cool in the title role. His Marlowe seems so natural – it’s like he’s not even acting.  I’ve never seen the Rockford Files, but after watching Garner here, I might have to change that. Rita Moreno sizzles in her supporting role.  Her chemistry with Garner is so believable. The rest of the cast is more than adequate. I had no idea that Bruce Lee was in the film. When he popped-up, I couldn’t have been more surprised.  He doesn’t really do much other than bust-up Marlowe’s office, but that overhead light fixture kick was amazing. 

I’m not going to bother with the few minor quibbles I had with Marlowe.  When a movie is this much fun, why bother?

8/10

It Takes a Thief "A Matter of Royal Larceny" #1.15 (1968) (TV)

Plenty of Al doing what Al does best, 10 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Instead of stealing, Al’s mission involves returning a golden orb to a royal treasure room.  But what Al doesn’t know is that the orb has been packed with plastic explosives.  

A Matter of Royal Larceny is another solid episode.  None of these episodes are what I'd call great, but most are entertaining enough.  In this one, we get plenty of Al doing what Al does best - lots of sneaking around, some spy work, and wooing the women.  I especially enjoyed Al’s final dramatic assault on the treasure room. Overall, quite fun.

A few random thoughts:

1. I’m sure I’ve seen the main building featured in this episode in about half of the ones I’ve watched so far.  It Takes a Thief seemed to recycle the same sets on a regular basis.

2. Exactly where was the Kingdom of San Marcos supposed to be?  I’m sure I heard at least four different accents - American, French, British (and very heavy British at that), and some sort of weird Eastern European accent.

3. I had forgotten just how stunning Lynda Day George was in the 70s.  She never looked better than here. And what about those fabulous outfits?  Really nice

4. Maybe it was just me, but it felt like J Pat O’Malley and his dog had stepped over to It Takes a Thief from another show.  Their bits had a weird vibe to them.

5. Finally, I was shocked to see Ben Murphy, of all people, playing the King-to-be of San Marcos.  Too funny,

7/10

It Takes a Thief "Locked in the Cradle of the Keep" #1.14 (1968) (TV)

Nice casting, 9 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Al is tasked with stealing an object from an Eastern bloc museum.  The trouble is that he’s not at all sure what he’s supposed to steal. 

On the whole, I quite enjoyed Locked in the Cradle of the Keep.  The opening shootout is exciting, even if the ultimate outcome is terribly predictable.  The part of Al’s plan to get in the museum without stepping on the floor was humorously clever.  And the bit where Al tricks his tail into following the wrong motor-scooter was a nice scene. But the best part of the episode for me had to be the relationship between Al and Ilsa.  Robert Wagner and Celeste Yarnall made quite the handsome couple and had some real chemistry together. In almost every episode, Al gets the girl. But other than Susan Saint James, none seemed as natural with Wagner as Yarnall.  A nice bit of casting. 

My complaints are minor and center on a few ridiculous plot points (like why there wasn’t more security personnel at the museum during the final scene), but they’re hardly worth mentioning.  Overall, a nice episode.

7/10

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries "The Mystery of the Silent Scream" #2.11 (1977) (TV)

The Worst of the Hardy Boys, 8 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Joe and Frank get mixed-up with a deaf woman who may have “overheard” a plan to blow up a casino.

It’s been awhile since I last watched an episode of The Hardy Boys, but I don’t remember any being as bad as The Mystery of the Silent Scream.  It’s just plain old Gawd awful! I’ll start with the plot – ridiculous. It makes no sense that these two goofballs were able to solve the mystery behind the bombing so easily or that the police would even let them.  And what about the bomber’s motivation? Again, it makes no sense. Second, the dialogue is painful. No one in the real world talks like that. The scene where Joe tricks the deaf girl into kissing him – cringy beyond belief.  Third, why make the bomber’s accomplice a mystery? The reveal isn’t much of a surprise when there are only two other people in the episode with speaking parts. Fourth, and this is a problem with the entire series, the ADR is about as bad as you’ll see in an American made TV show with English speaking actors.  Finally, when your “guest stars” are Larry Storch and Trini Lopez, that pretty much says all you need to know about the quality of what you’re watching. 

There are several other Hardy Boys episodes I’ve never seen.  I hope they aren’t be as bad as this.

2/10

There's Always a Woman (1938)

Joan Blondell – Cute, Funny, and Sassy, 7 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Husband, who works for the DA, and wife, who is secretly running her husband’s old detective agency, compete to see who can solve a murder.

As my rating indicates, I generally enjoyed There’s Always a Woman.  It’s no Thin Man, as it’s often compared and as Columbia Pictures had hoped it would be, but the movie is decent enough entertainment.  The mystery may not be much, but this kind of light-hearted, who-done-it is never deep on plot. The film looks good and moves at a good pace.  The direction is snappy with very little in the way downtime. Joan Blondell really shines as Sally Reardon. She’s cute, funny, and sassy. She dominates the screen anytime she appears.  Co-star Melvyn Douglas is good in his own right and makes a good straight man for Blondell, but he can’t compete with her screen presence. There are a variety of other solid actors in the supporting cast, most notably Mary Astor, in what is pretty much the same role she played a few years later in The Maltese Falcon.  

The thing that bothered me the most about There’s Always a Woman was the casual depiction of spousal abuse.  Maybe attitudes have changed since 1938, but I don’t enjoy seeing a woman having her hair pulled or being hit by her husband.  It didn’t come off as funny or playful, just mean. Without those moments, I would have definitely rated There’s Always a Woman higher. 

6/10

It Takes a Thief “The Radomir Miniature” #1.13 (1968) ( TV)

It’s a good one, 6 August 2019

Al’s mission is to rescue a young girl being held in Bulgaria.  Al has the help of the local underground, but one of their members may be a double-agent working for the Secret Police.

The Radomir Miniature is one of the better episodes I’ve run into.  What sets it apart from some of the others is a real sense of tension.  It’s all a little more serious (for lack of a better word) than the average episode.  Al has to do some real spy work. He has to think quickly on his feet when things go wrong.  He has to use his wits to uncover the mole before his mission is ruined. The writing and direction go a long way to creating this tension or atmosphere – better than what you expect from a random episode of It Takes a Thief. 

Another big plus for The Radomir Miniature is the cast.  Just look through the IMDb credits for some of this episode’s guests.  You’ll see several actors with 100+ credits. Two actors I’ll specifically mention are Ina Balin and Eve Plumb.  Ms Balin more than holds her own with Robert Wagner. She’s not just another pretty face. As for Eve Plumb, to be as young as she was, she did a fantastic job.  Too bad about some of the really poor ADR work on her lines. 

8/10