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Cowc16
Reviews
Walk East on Beacon! (1952)
odd obsession in this film
In general I agree with the two previous comments: this is a rather plodding, but competently filmed story within the early 50s parameters of anti-Communist drama. However, I cannot help remarking on the film's weird obsession with "women's shoulder strap bags." Although they have no real impact on the plot, they are repeatedly referred to or shown prominently. Also, I find the Party's tactic of threatening to expose members who wish to quit or are otherwise uncooperative nonsensical. This idea also appears in other films of the period. Even if it were true that such threats were made it would still make little or no sense as a functional threat. The exposed Communist would simply retaliate by exposing other Communists still loyal to the Party, I would imagine.
The Boob (1926)
Very nice MGM silent.
I recently viewed this film on Turner and found it to be an extremely enjoyable silent comedy. I was originally only interested in seeing Joan Crawford at this early point in her career. I thought the story line, while rather absurd, allowed the various situational "jokes" to be accomplished neatly. Interestingly, I found nothing in the role of the young black actor which was racist, an oddity considering the age of this movie. Perhaps denying him any credit for his work was deemed sufficient punishment. It was apparent that some portion of the script was edited out, since nothing was ever developed regarding the other ladies' objections to the elderly woman's "relationship" with the George K. Arthur character. Ultimately, the main attraction of this film is its absolutely stunning photography, courtesy of the great William H. Daniels. With the exception of some interior scenes, this was filmed like a collection of beautifully composed 19th century still photographs. Incidentally, I agree with the earlier commenter who thought the hero should have dumped Amy.
Chicago Syndicate (1955)
Is Charles Lane in this film in an uncredited speaking role?
Has anyone else noticed that Charles Lane appears with his back to the camera in the scene where Paul Stewart warns his syndicate partners about not cheating him? The voice also seems to be his. He doesn't show up anywhere else in the film. I have not been able to find him associated with it on any credit listings, including the abbreviated IMDb cast list. I thought this was a pretty good genre film. It's always nice to see Paul Stewart in a bigger role. Don't recall ever seeing Abbe Lane in a film before. I really thought she was better than the other female lead, despite having less to do. Although her acting ability cannot really be assessed from this single role, I am surprised she did not have a lengthier career.