Il brigante di Tacca del Lupo (1952)iMDB Rating: 7.0
In 19th century southern Italy (near Melfi, Basilicata), a small force of soldiers fight in the hills against the bandits who are holding their country to ransom.
De macht van de duivel (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.6Professor Henri Faust, retiring after 50 years as an alchemist in a circa-1700 university, despairs at still knowing nothing of the true secrets of nature...whereupon his old acquaintance Mephistopheles, servant of Lucifer, appears and grants him youth and a new life. But with youth, Faust's interest is diverted from science to women. And Mephistopheles, who has taken on the guise of the elderly Faust that was, sets many snares for his young friend's slippery soul...
An old time french masterpiece
Though I'm french, I am not a fan of french movies which I usually find boring or too intellectual ( in a pejorative way ).
This being said, I've always liked this movie, greatly because of the incredible performance of Michel Simon, undoubtedly one of the greatest french actors ever. His portrayal of Mephistopheles is delightful in every way. He leaves but little place to the other actors ( mostly Gerard Philippe the avatar of the romantic actor, playing young Faust having sold his soul to the devil ).
In an era where special effects where about non existent, Rene Clair managed to make a really witty comedy about the meaning of life.
Astonishing to see how certain movies, no matter how old they are, remain entertaining. This is definitely one of them.
A must see ! Should you like it, try Belles de Jour from Rene Clair too, another witty romantic old times french comedy. You'll be pleased.
Sunset Blvd. (1950)iMDB Rating: 8.6The story, set in '50s Hollywood, focuses on Norma Desmond, a silent-screen goddess whose pathetic belief in her own indestructibility has turned her into a demented recluse. The crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion where she lives with only her butler, Max who was once her director and husband has become her self-contained world. Norma dreams of a comeback to pictures and she begins a relationship with Joe Gillis, a small-time writer who becomes her lover, that will soon end with murder and total madness.
The Hollywood Myth FOREVER Shattered !!!
Until 1950, American films were strictly entertainment, some deeper than others. Studio executives were very protective of image and star-making. In essence, everything seemed perfect. Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and D.M. Marshman, Jr. created a stunning work of art that splits the Hollywood sign in two and exposed a dream factory for what it really is: a struggle to both gain and keep notoriety in the limelight. "Norma Desmond" and "Joe Gillis" are at opposite ends of this warped Hollywood mindset, with Gillis, played by that most cynical of actors, William Holden trying to pay the rent and Norma (Gloria Swanson) living a lie as a silent queen whose star burned "10,000 midnights ago". How a picture with such a snide look at the industry could come out in 1950 is simply mind-boggling, considering some of the light fodder that came out of Hollywood at the time. It has inspired many modern day disciples such as Altman's THE PLAYER, and Sonnenfeld's GET SHORTY, both of which took their vicious, hilarious parodies to the jugular of the movie capital of the world. SUNSET BLVD is the father of all socially oriented pictures regarding the movies and is by far the best.
The images of this beautiful black and white powerhouse are fascinating and unforgettable: the dead writer floating in a pool, eyes wide open, looking right at us at the beginning; the eerie pipe organ that plays by the breeze in the middle of one of the most deep and dustiest sets ever; the funeral ceremony of the dead monkey in Norma's courtyard ("That must have been one important chimp. The grandson of King Kong perhaps." says Holden in a delightfully crisp and wise voice-over.) Holden pulls his car into a driveway off of the boulevard that will change his life forever. He is the emblem of the struggle to get notoriety. He has only a few B Movies to his credit. Swanson as Norma Desmond is the symbol of lost fame and has become the talk of legend. What is ironic about her character is that she may be playing herself in an odd way. She WAS an actual silent star whose career went down the tubes after the talkies came about. Her madness combined with Holden's last drop of naiveté combine to give us one of the most electrifying "give and take" between actors I've ever witnessed.
Both lead parts were passed over by several actors. Holden was eventually forced into it as a contract player. How could you pass on such a script? Even "wax figures" (as Holden calls them) Buster Keaton, H.B. Warner, and Anna Q. Nilsson come to Norma's to play bridge, of course being Hollywood outcasts themselves, after the invention of sound in film. Some of the dialogue takes a swing at actual movies and people (GONE WITH THE WIND, Zanuck, Menjou). This must have brought the house down in Hollywood screening rooms throughout the town. Louis B. Mayer even condemned Billy Wilder for "ruining the industry". The film is sad and darkly humorous depicting the antics of Norma, who is quite insane, and Holden who is going along with what Norma is giving him, but has plans of his own. Another wax figure still alive and kicking in 1950 appears as himself in an important role. Cecil B. Demille, who once directed Norma/Gloria back in the silent heyday, tries to set her straight, telling her pictures have "changed". They had indeed, especially after this searing comment on celebrity status. I wonder if they knew what they were creating while making this gem.
Scenes are shot right on the lot of Paramount Studios (even the front gate), and Norma's mansion is an unforgettable piece of history and gloom with a floor that "Valentino once danced on." There is so much to discuss, but little to enlighten you on how great SUNSET BLVD is without you seeing it. Just two years later, films began to crop up with the same tainted view of Hollywood, most with varying degrees of deception. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, one of the all-time entertainments quietly had a nasty taste in its mouth regarding celebrity and the invention of sound movies. Watch these films closely and see the skeletons of the modern Hollywood bash films.
RATING: 10 of 10
Araki Mataemon: Kettô kagiya no tsuji (1952)iMDB Rating: 7.3Matemon Araki, a renowned swordsman, helps a young man find vengeance.
The Belle of New York (1952)iMDB Rating: 6.2In squeaky-clean New York at the turn of the century, playboy Charlie Hill falls so much in love that he can walk on air. The object of his affections is beautiful Angela Bonfils, a mission house worker in the Bowery. He promises to reform his dissolute life, even trying to do an honest day's work.
Dancin' Man
Fred Astaire wrote in his autobiography that he was personally hurt by the critical and box-office failure of this Freed Unit musical, adapted very loosely from a turn-of-the-century stage success. You can see why audiences rejected it, but you can also see he was right to be proud. The story is trite even for a musical, and nothing can liven up the dead space between numbers -- not Marjorie Main playing to the gallery, not Alice Pearce frumping about predictably, and most certainly not the central conceit of the central romance, which is that love makes our young sweethearts (the script keeps referring to Astaire as "young man," which he plainly is not at this point) literally walk, and dance, on air.
The gimmickry gets in the way of a couple of numbers, too: Astaire and Ellen dance on a hapless horse's back, and Astaire cavorts atop the Washington Square arch. Still, the Warren-Mercer score, though it contains no hits, is tuneful, clever, and well suited to the meager plot; the MGM Orchestra is irresistibly lush; and the Technicolor gorgeously shows off the handsome production. In short, the film may be a triumph of studio engineering over inspiration, but as long as the stars are dancing, it's a delight.
Vera-Ellen partners Astaire charmingly, even if she's not the world's most dynamic actress, and she has a fun solo, "Naughy But Nice." As for Astaire, he's his usual self, and we'd want it no other way. His best number is the one least dependent on special effects, "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man." "Gonna leave my footsteps on the sands of time," he sings. You surely did, Mr. A.
No desearás la mujer de tu hijo (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.5Another acting class by Soler
Just like in "La oveja negra", this one may not be Pedro Infante's best acting role. But Fernando Soler, playing an unusual role for him, shows off again his acting craft to the point that he makes it his picture too. Adopting an almost perfect northern (norteno) Mexican accent, he succeeds to show the danger and stupidity of "machismo". I wonder if in those days it was really welcomed or understood. And this is why movies should not be forgotten. If we forget history, we are bound to make the same mistakes. Maybe this sequel ("no desearas la mujer de tu hijo") was not necessary to make. But with the same dramatical, comical and musical ingredients, it turned out to be just as entertaining. I wonder why nobody cares so far to restore all these Mexican gems from the 40's and early 50's.
Hollywood Story (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.8Hollywood 1950: The successful producer Larry O'Brian arrives in Los Angeles to found a motion picture company. He buys an old studio which was unused since the days of silent movies. He's shown the office where the famous director Franklin Farrara was shot. The case hasn't been solved until now, although there were many suspects. O'Brian becomes fascinated by the subject and wants to shoot a movie about it. He investigates himself and soon gets into danger himself.
Not Bad
Saw this movie as a kid, watching " The Late Show, " which was always a great old b/w movie. Years later, read about the murder of William Desmond Taylor and thought this hit awfully close to home. Taylor was a director of some note in early Hollywood, but also known to be quite the ladies' man. He was murdered in his apartment and the case was never officially solved. After his murder, the career of Mary Miles Minter, a well known Hollywood starlet was pretty much in ruins, due to several pieces of her personal belongings found at the scene of the crime, which is interesting, as studio bigwigs were called to the apartment before the police were called. Also interesting was the rumor that his now missing valet / butler / chauffeur was in reality his brother. The deceased Tayor was not who he appeared to be - he had long before abandoned a wife and child and re-invented himself. Years later, the famed Hollywood director King Vidor became interested in the mystery and worked on it for some years. His efforts were detailed in a book called " A Cast Of Killers, " well worth the read.
The Battle at Apache Pass (1952)iMDB Rating: 6.5When Cochise bands together with Geronimo and other Indian nations, Major Colton abandons his fort, heading towards Fort Sheridan, through Apache Pass. Only thing in his way are the Indians he used to call his friends.
" If one famous Indian leader is dangerous, you can be sure, two of them are Lethal "
Hollywood in the 1950's was in the throws of changing the mystic conception that White men were always beating the Native Americans in war. In this film called " The Battle at Apache Pass " is one of the new attempts at glorying the U.S. Calvary's version of that now infamous battle. To be sure, the movie portrays the Indian as an undisciplined savage out to kill every white man and the U.S. cavalry as military pawns of opportunistic land grabbing marauders. However, within the ranks of the Apache are two of the more notorious names who's names are inscribed in Western Lore. This movie purports to have Geronimo (Jay Silverheels) and Cochise (Jeff Chandler) engaged in battle with Maj. Jim Coltton (John Lund and George Bascom (John Hudson) using the first use of western field cannons. The dialog between the Whites and Indians is standard Hollywood, but does depict some of the actual atrocities committed on both sides. This is a good attempt of the evolution of western films and with the addition of James Best, Regis Toomey, Hugh O'Brian and Richard Egan in it's cast, manages a plausible rendition of a historical event. ****
Aventurera (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.6Left alone after her mother runs off with another man and her father kills himself, Elena attempts to make a new life for herself in a new city. Believing he's a friend, Elena goes to dinner with "Pretty Boy" Lucio, but he drugs her champagne and sells her to Rosaura, who runs a brothel out of her nightclub. Elena becomes a sensation as a dancer, but all the while she nurtures plans of revenge against those who have conspired against her.
She shakes her maracas
I'm intrigued by the distinctive film genres which evolve among the world's cultures. Germany developed the 'mountain film' genre, in which a male hero (or sometimes two male rivals) will achieve greater self-knowledge high up in the mountains, in the presence of a beautiful Aryan woman who embodies the earth-spirit. Mexico developed the 'wrestling mummy' movie genre, about which the less said the better. But Mexico is also the home of the 'cabaretera' genre of movie musical, in which a beautiful young woman is caught between a soap-opera plot line and elaborate floor numbers set in a nightclub. The 1950 film 'Aventurera' ('adventuress') is the best of the cabaretera films, and it's delightful ... it's hokey and implausible, but in a very enjoyable way.
MAJOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT. Lovely young Cuban actress/dancer Ninón Sevilla stars as Elena, a virginal (but gorgeous blonde) Mejicana who is utterly devoted to her father. When Papa learns that his wife (Elena's mother) is unfaithful, he shoots himself. Elena abandons her villainous mother, and goes off to Mexico City to seek her fortune.
She meets a handsome young man named Lucio who offers to protect her, and who immediately takes her to meet a domineering woman named Rosaura who offers Elena a cup of tea ... which turns out to be drugged. Lucio and Rosaura are 'white slavers' who plan to force Elena to use her body for their profit ... but it's not what you'd expect. Instead of prostitution, they force her to perform as the star of a cabaret act! Elena's cabaret numbers are campy, but I was relieved that they never quite sink to the Carmen Miranda level. (I despise Carmen Miranda.) The musical numbers are impressively staged, on a large budget, and are enjoyable in their own right... all with a Latin beat. The title song, a gentle ballad sung by a male soloist accompanied by Spanish guitar, is wistful and haunting.
Eventually Elena escapes from the nightclub. She meets a handsome and wealthy young man who wants to marry her, but first he takes her home to meet his extremely respectable dowager mother ... who turns out to be Rosaura the madame! There is some witty dialogue here. Rosaura (in her second guise) offers a cup of tea to Elena, who replies: 'I had some once. I didn't like it.'
Although the plot line is outrageous, it's also extremely predictable ... because (except for her dead dad) every major character whom Elena meets in the first half of the movie turns up 'unexpectedly' in the second half of the film, so eventually these 'unexpected' appearances become very expected indeed. At one point late in the film, as Elena walked back to her hotel room, I found myself thinking: 'Lucio hasn't come back yet: it's just about time for him to escape from prison and come looking for Elena.' Just as I thought this, Elena walked into her room and switched on the light. Guess who's sitting there.
'Aventurera' has some very strong 'noir' elements. Except for Elena and her father, every major character in this movie is unsympathetic. Based on the worldview depicted here, almost all women are treacherous ... and almost all men are criminals and perverts who exploit women. Interestingly, the sleaziest character in this movie is also one of the very few sympathetic characters. This is a filthy little toad-like derelict named El Rana, who has a talent for throwing knives. He attaches himself to Elena and follows her about pathetically. His appearance and behaviour suggest a stereotypical pervert, but his interest in Elena really seems to arise from dog-like affection rather than lust. At the end of the film, El Rana murders Lucio with a well-placed 'cuchillo', then he watches approvingly from the shadows as Elena goes off to seek a better life for herself. It's clear that this strange little man's interest in Elena is unselfish, and that he realises he's unworthy of her.
I'll rate 'Aventurera' 8 out of 10. Its depiction of life in Mexico is wildly unrealistic, yet it still provides an interesting view of Mexican culture ... because this is the sort of story that many Mexican filmgoers want to see.
I'll Get You for This (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.1American gambler Nick Cain arrives at the Mediterranean town of San Paola, and befriends an orphan Italian shoe-shine boy named Toni. He is puzzled by the reception and welcome he receives from the management of the casino until he finds he has been framed on a charge of murdering a U.S. Treasury Agent. He escapes with Kay Wonderly and they flee to a deserted village where he leaves Kay to hide out. Nick gets aid from a mysterious character named Massine, whom he suspects of trying to collect the reward offered on his capture. Nick discovers that the men responsible for the agent's death are members of an international counterfeiting ring, using the casino to pass the bogus money.
Another book to movie conversion gone astray.
James Hadley Chase,among other writers, was well renowned for his ability to capture the readers attention from the beginning to end in all of his crime-thriller novels. That is where the difficulty sets in, can the director and crew capture the same in the movie? The story starts off with the arrival of an American gambler (Nick-George Raft) at a Mediterranean town of San Paola. Soon he gets acquainted with Kay (Coleen Gray) and finds himself framed for a murder, forcing him to go on the run with her. So far so good yet this is the turning point of the movie. Instead of going the edge of your seat 'why and who?' it turned into mediocrity. Overall, had the potential to be a great movie and could have rivaled movies like The Fugitive (1993) had a bit more suspense/tension been pumped into the screenplay and other movie making aspects.
Amore e sangue (1951)iMDB Rating: 6.5Love, blood, and Maria Montez.
(Spoilers, perhaps) This can be described as a Neapolitan Camorra semi-western noir film. It is set in 19th Century Naples and features Massimo Serato as Peppuccio, a man escaped from prison who kills the man who had betrayed him. He takes the man's girl as his lover (Nennella, played by Mirella Uberti). But Dolores (Maria Montez) daughter of Camorra boss Pietro (Folco Lulli) wants him for herself and winds up killing the guy in the movie's last minute when she realizes she can't have him. The Camorra itself is give near-mythic status as an almost legitimate organization, a shadow government with its own governing body, and kangaroo court. Most of the story is routine drivel, except perhaps for fans of Maria Montez, and even then so. Some credit should be given, however, to the moody and very effective photography by Anchise Brizzi and the very decent musical score by Renzo Rossellini. Marino Girolami directed without distinction.
Am Brunnen vor dem Tore (1952)iMDB Rating: 4.8When Inge slowly falls for shy gas station owner Kurt, her fiancée Robert, from whom Inge has not heard in months, suddenly appears. Whom will she choose? What connection is there between Kurt and Robert? And what secret is Inge's third, silent admirer Georg Straaten keeping?
LESS THAN MEDIOCRE
Any film that starts with Hammond organ music during the credits does not promise much, and in this Heimatfilm poor Sonja Ziemann has to put up with no less than three suitors, one more nondescript than the other; ah well, all three give very firm handshakes. This Heimatfilm has the most interesting love story I have ever seen, as one of the suitors (Paul Klinger, man's best handyman) falls in love with her when she offers him to run her petrol-station (no pun intended), thàt is passion à la Heimat. Another suitor is a former English pilot (reference to WW2) , whose visiting parents (the father played by Willy Fritsch, who has lost nothing of his charm) speak remarkably fluent German: in the Heimat everybody soon forgets his own roots.
Besides all the terrible cliches of the genre and the utter seriousness of it all, this one has less than mediocre direction and is edited with a plough-share. Among all this horror it is Hans Richter who makes the best of it as one of the "Landstreicher" and who saves the viewer from drowning himself in the Brunnen vor dem Tore.
Anhonee (1952)iMDB Rating: 7.0Lucknow-based impoverished advocate, Rajkumar Saxena, complains to his landlord about the deplorable condition of his apartment but is instead told by the latter's daughter, Roop, to pay his outstanding rent for over 6 months or face legal action. He approaches her father, Harnam Singh, who not only lets him live there for free, but also befriends him, and invites him to Roop's birthday party. Roop gets impressed when he sings there and invites him for dinner along with her father. Before he could attend, he is asked to represent a courtesan client, Mohini, who is facing eviction by her landlord. He finds her resemblance to Roop quite unusual and mentions this during their dinner. This news apparently shocks Harnam, who gets hospitalized and subsequently passes away. Mohini, who is injured in an accident, retains him to sue Roop as she claims to be her sister, but the latter decides to let Mohini move in with her and share the estate. The latter's satisfaction will turn to bitterness ...
Not very good
Raj Kapoor and Nargis once again play the lead roles in the film. The chemistry, as usual, between them is excellent. Nargis has a double role in the film which forms the basis of the film. But somehow the film lacks what it takes to become entertaining. The film, especially, in the first part moves slowly. Although the second part catches up and there are really some intense moments. The film also lacks good songs(something, which is odd because Raj Kapoor's films usually had top class songs). The film can be considered a one time watch, although, if you are not used to old movies, this could become become boring.
Harvey (1950)iMDB Rating: 8.1The classic stage hit gets the Hollywood treatment in the story of Elwood P. Dowd who makes friends with a spirit taking the form of a human-sized rabbit named Harvey that only he sees (and a few privileged others on occasion also.) After his sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, a comedy of errors ensues. Elwood and Harvey become the catalysts for a family mending its wounds and for romance blossoming in unexpected places.
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whoever I'm with".
A wonderful comedy-drama starring the immensely talented James Stuart as kind hearted Elwood P. Dowd, a man who has refused to be ruled by life. The brilliance of this film is the subtlety of the story and the layers of the character. Under the polite veneer of fifties Hollywood conventions, Harvey has a decidedly dark undercurrent, one that deals with alcoholism, loneliness and rejection. Not that this should deter you from enjoying the many comic scenarios that Harvey throws at the viewer during the course of the film, as this is definitely a comedy gem. But the truth and beauty behind what Elwood is saying only make the entire package all the more exquisite, like putting chocolate on a donut.
The most beautiful scene I've seen in any film is the scene in which Elwood explains how Harvey has enriched his life, though the people who are listening to the story doubt Harvey's existence, thus doubting Elwood's sanity, the words of his speech, coupled with the delivery of Stuart's performance are so touching and true that even the most jaded audience will be won over into believing Harvey to be real. The enjoyment that Elwood now gets from life, the wonderful times he has, wherever he is, whoever he's with, is the kind of enjoyment everyone strives to achiever from life. This is bygone film-making at it's best; Stuart is such a joy to watch that you'll remember this film for a long time after viewing. With fine support from all the actors, this is one film that truly deserves its classic status.
The Wooden Horse (1950)iMDB Rating: 7.0In a POW camp, the Nazis have placed the huts far from the boundary so that any escape tunnel would have to be a long one. One British officer has the idea of starting a daily gynmastics routine using a vaulting horse: they can place it near the boundary and start a tunnel from under it. He and two others do escape the camp by this means and plan to make for neutral Sweden. To do that, they'll not only have to move around without arousing any suspicions, but also find a stranger from a neutral or occupied country who'll be willing and able to help them.
Has a quiet and hypnotic dignity
In 1943, a group of RAF Officers, including Eric Wiiliams, decide to escape from a POW camp using a Gymnastic Vaulting Horse in the courtyard. In 1950, it was decided to film his account, and it kick-started a peculiar British Film Genre- the Military Prison Camp story that reached its apogee in Danger Within (1959).
The Wooden Horse is one of the quietest films I have ever watched. There are no great dramatic moments, but a steady storyline eventually builds to a climax that has more tension because the story doesn't give way for unlikely drama, jump cuts or jacked up (somethings about to happen!) music. It is utterly of its time and works beautifully.
Leo Glenn, Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson lead a curiously low key cast of extras and (I suspect) non-actors. Without exception, all are constantly mono-tonal and quiet. They keep emotion out of their roles. As so many were, until recently, ex-service, I suspect they recreated their war time roles as 'Officers and Gentlemen'.
This unemotional approach does not detract from any dramatic tension. On the contrary, unlike most Wartime Escape Films, the story doesn't end at the barbed wire: and that fact alone keeps me glued to the end.
Two Gals and a Guy (1951)iMDB Rating: 7.6A singing couple gets their own television show, and the strains of putting on a TV show every week starts to jeopardize their relationship.
